In the early 1990s, around 19 women in every 100,000 developed the disease. That figure has now climbed to 29 women in every 100,000 – with obesity being the most likely culprit.
Around 9,000 women are diagnosed with womb (uterine) cancer every year in the UK, and around 2,000 women die from the disease. Twenty years ago, there were around 4,800 new cases of womb cancer each year with around 1,500 deaths.
Professor Jonathan Ledermann, director of the Cancer Research UK and UCL Cancer Trials Centre, said: “It’s worrying that womb cancer cases are going up so sharply. We don’t know all the reasons why. But we do know that about a third of cases are linked to being overweight so it’s no surprise to see the increases in womb cancer cases echo rising obesity levels.
“The good news is that thanks to research and improved treatments survival has improved. In the 1970s, almost six in 10 women diagnosed with the disease survived for at least 10 years. Now almost eight in 10 women survive. But we need more research to understand the biology of the disease better and to know more about how it is caused so that we can improve the treatment of these women as well as preventing more cases.”
The science behind how extra weight can cause cancer is not completely clear. But there is evidence that extra fat in the body can raise cancer risk by producing hormones and growth factors that encourage cells to divide.
A lack of exercise and taking HRT (hormone replacement therapy) are also risk factors – but are linked to fewer cases of womb cancer than obesity. A woman’s age and genetic make-up can also affect her risk.
Symptoms of womb cancer include abnormal vaginal bleeding – particularly in post-menopausal women – blood in your pee and abdominal pain. The disease is usually diagnosed early, and most women can be cured by surgery.