Uterine Cancer
What Is Uterine Cancer?
Each year, approximately 42,000 U.S. women are diagnosed with uterine cancer – the most common cancer of the female genital tract and the fourth most common cancer in women.1
Uterine cancer forms in tissues of the uterus, which is a pear-shaped organ in the pelvis where a fetus grows. The cervix is at the lower, narrow end of the uterus, and leads to the vagina. Uterine cancer can appear in cells lining the uterus (endometrium) and in muscle or other tissues in the uterus (uterine sarcoma).
Signs & Symptoms of Uterine Cancer
Possible signs of uterine cancer include unusual vaginal discharge or pain in the pelvis (uterus pain). Other conditions may cause the same symptoms. You should contact your doctor if you experience any of the following symptoms:
- Bleeding or discharge not related to menstruation (periods)
- Bleeding after menopause
- Irregular bleeding in between menstrual cycles or after sexual intercourse
- A mass in the vagina
- Frequent, difficult or painful urination
- Pain during sexual intercourse
- Increasing or different pelvic pain or cramping
- A thin white (or pink) watery discharge from the vagina
- Increased pelvic pressure, particularly if associated with changes in bladder or bowel patterns
Tests that examine the uterus are used to detect and diagnose uterine cancer. Some of the tests that may be performed include a physical exam and history, a pelvic exam, a Pap test (or Pap smear), colposcopy (looking at the cervix with a microscope), cervical biopsy, endometrial biopsy, ultrasound, dilation & curettage (D&C) and hysteroscopy.
PN 1002238 Rev A 01/2014
Serious complications may occur in any surgery, including da Vinci® Surgery, up to and including death. Examples of serious or life-threatening complications, which may require prolonged and/or unexpected hospitalization and/or reoperation, include but are not limited to, one or more of the following: injury to tissues/organs, bleeding, infection and internal scarring that can cause long-lasting dysfunction/pain. Risks of surgery also include the potential for equipment failure and/or human error. Individual surgical results may vary.
Risks specific to minimally invasive surgery, including da Vinci Surgery, include but are not limited to, one or more of the following: temporary pain/nerve injury associated with positioning; temporary pain/discomfort from the use of air or gas in the procedure; a longer operation and time under anesthesia and conversion to another surgical technique. If your doctor needs to convert the surgery to another surgical technique, this could result in a longer operative time, additional time under anesthesia, additional or larger incisions and/or increased complications.
Patients who are not candidates for non-robotic minimally invasive surgery are also not candidates for da VinciSurgery. Patients should talk to their doctor to decide if da Vinci Surgery is right for them. Patients and doctors should review all available information on non-surgical and surgical options in order to make an informed decision. For Important Safety Information, including surgical risks, indications, and considerations and contraindications for use, please also refer to www.davincisurgery.com/safety and www.intuitivesurgical.com/safety. Unless otherwise noted, all people depicted are models.
