Your womb is the muscular bag in your body where a baby would be held during pregnancy, and the endometrium is its lining.
You may hear endometrial cancer being called womb cancer, but there are other cancers that take place in the womb.
Around 9,300 women are diagnosed with womb cancer in the UK each year.
The most common symptom of womb cancer is any bleeding from the vagina that isn’t usual for you.
If you have been through the menopause, then any bleeding from your vagina would be unusual.
If you haven’t yet been through the menopause, any bleeding that is heavier than normal or any bleeding between your usual period could be a symptom.
It's unlikely your symptoms will be caused by womb cancer, but it's important to speak to your doctor if you notice unusual bleeding just in case.
Make a note of dates, length or heaviness of bleeding to describe to them. Your doctor will ask you some questions and may also do an internal examination.
You may need to see a specialist doctor for further tests if your doctor thinks this is needed.
There are a few different treatments for cancer of the womb. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are sometimes used.
The most common way to treat cancer of the womb is to remove the womb. This is called a hysterectomy and it often involves removing the ovaries and fallopian tubes. As a result, you would no longer be able to get pregnant.
If you haven’t yet gone through the menopause and would like to later become pregnant, it may be possible to use hormone therapy instead.
How cancer of the womb affects you depends on many things, including:
More information
Watch our webinar with top experts answering common questions about the five gynaecological cancers, including womb cancer, below.
Endometriosis happens when tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places. It can cause chronic pain, heavy periods and other symptoms affecting your everyday life. With the right treatment, it can be made more manageable.
Fibroids are non-cancerous growths that develop in and around the womb. They can cause heavy periods and other symptoms, such as pressure and pain. There are treatments to help.
Ovarian cancer is cancer of the ovaries, a pair of small organs located low in the tummy that store eggs.