Like so many others whose lives are touched by cancer, former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick says he made a big decision based on a loved one with cancer. Patrick, who just became the 18th Democrat to join the 2020 presidential race, says he wanted to run if his wife, Diane Patrick, 68, who was diagnosed with stage 1 uterine cancer a year ago, had a clean bill of health.
Diane is now cancer free.
Read MoreInformation About Uterine Cancer
Uterine cancer, or endometrial cancer, is a cancer that develops in the lining of the uterus. There are several symptoms that may indicate that a cancer of the uterus has developed, and irregular bleeding is a common one. This means bleeding in between periods for pre-menopausal women and unexpected bleeding for post-menopausal women. Dr. Diana English, Gynecologic Oncologist at Stanford Medicine, on the risks and symptoms of uterine cancerThere are also several conditions that may predispose someone to getting uterine cancer. “These patients might not be thinking about this, their primary care providers may not be speaking to them about this,” warns Dr. Diana English, a Gynecologic Oncologist at Stanford Medicine. Those conditions are:
- Hypertension
- Diabetes
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (which is marked by the absence of regular periods)
- Obesity
- Hyperandrogenism (elevated male sex hormones)
- Lynch Syndrome
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