Overview
Cancer of the uterus may also be treated with hormone therapy, immunotherapy and targeted therapy.
Some cancers of the uterus depend on oestrogen or progesterone to grow. These are known as hormone-dependent or hormone-sensitive cancers, and they can sometimes be treated with hormone therapy. Immunotherapy is a drug treatment that uses the body’s own immune system to fight the cancer. Targeted therapy attacks specific features of cancer cells.
Palliative treatment may also be used to improve people’s quality of life.
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Hormone therapy
Hormone therapy may also be called endocrine therapy or hormone-blocking therapy. Hormones such as oestrogen and progesterone are substances that are produced naturally in the body. They help control the growth and activity of cells. Some cancers of the uterus depend on oestrogen or progesterone to grow. These are known as hormone-dependent or hormone-sensitive cancers and they can sometimes be treated with hormone therapy.
Hormone therapy may be recommended for cancer of the uterus that has spread or come back (recurred), particularly if it is a low-grade cancer. It is also sometimes offered as the first treatment if surgery has not been done (e.g. when someone with early-stage, low-grade cancer of the uterus chooses not to have a hysterectomy because they want to have children, or if someone is too unwell for surgery).
The main hormone therapy for hormone-dependent cancer of the uterus is progesterone that has been produced in a laboratory. High-dose progesterone is available in tablet form (usually medroxyprogesterone) or, if you have not had a hysterectomy, through a hormone-releasing intrauterine device (IUD) called a Mirena. A Mirena is placed into the uterus by your doctor.
Other hormone drugs may be available on clinical trials. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of the different methods.
Hormone therapy side effects
Common side effects of progesterone treatment include:
- breast tenderness
- headaches
- tiredness
- nausea
- menstrual changes
- bloating.
In high doses, progesterone may increase appetite and cause weight gain.
If you have an IUD, it may move out of place and need to be refitted by your doctor.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is a type of drug treatment that uses the body’s own immune system to fight cancer.
Several immunotherapy drugs are now available to treat endometrial cancer, including when it has spread (advanced or metastatic disease) or if it is no longer responding to chemotherapy. Immunotherapy drugs may be used in combination with a targeted therapy drug.
Immunotherapy side effects
Common side effects include:
- fatigue
- being or feeling sick (nausea)
- skin rash and itching
- joint pain
- diarrhoea
- dry eyes.
Rarely, immunotherapy can affect the lungs, bowel or thyroid gland and these side effects can sometimes be life-threatening. It’s important to let your treatment team know about any new or worsening side effects during or after treatment. Don’t try to treat side effects yourself.
Targeted therapy
Targeted therapy is a drug treatment that attacks specific features of cancer cells to stop the cancer growing and spreading.
A targeted therapy drug may be used to treat endometrial cancer that has spread or come back, or to boost the effectiveness of immunotherapy.
Targeted therapy side effects
Common side effects include:
- fatigue
- being or feeling sick (nausea)
- diarrhoea
- constipation
- sore mouth
- blood pressure changes
- appetite loss
- bleeding and bruising
- skin problems
- joint aches
- headache.
Less common side effects, such as heart problems and stroke, can also occur. It’s important to tell your doctor about any new or worsening side effects.
Ask your doctor about other recent developments in drugs for cancer of the uterus and whether a clinical trial may be an option for you.
Palliative treatment
Palliative treatment helps to improve people’s quality of life by managing symptoms of cancer without trying to cure the disease. Many people think that palliative treatment is only for people at the end of their life, but it can help at any stage of advanced cancer of the uterus. It is about living as long as possible in the most satisfying way you can. Being referred to palliative treatment does not necessarily mean that you are at the final stages of life.
As well as slowing the spread of cancer, palliative treatment can help to relieve pain and manage other symptoms, such as bowel problems. Treatment may include radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, or immunotherapy (alone or in combination with targeted therapy). Palliative treatment is one aspect of palliative care, in which a team of health professionals aims to meet your physical, emotional, cultural, social and spiritual needs. The team also supports families and carers.
See also Palliative care and Living with advanced cancer.
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