Care and mobility considerations

The majority of women will receive curative treatment for early stage disease and return to health with no disabling effects. Some may develop long term side effects of treatment.

Stage 1 and 2 disease

Long term side effects of treatment are infertility and early menopause. There are unlikely to be any long term care and mobility needs after treatment. The exception to this is the enduring but rare side effects of chemotherapy, pelvic lymphadenectomy (removal of the lymph nodes around the uterus) or radiotherapy. Needs are likely to arise when disease recurs.

Stage 3 disease

Long term disabling effects include the rare enduring side effects of chemotherapy. Side effects of radiotherapy may develop some years after treatment. Recurrent disease is fairly common and may occur only a few months after treatment of initial disease – up to date medical evidence from the treating hospital will be important.

Stage 4 disease

Most of these people are terminally ill. Those that are fit enough to have surgery are likely to go on to have chemotherapy or radiotherapy and are those with the best outcome in this group. A proportion may have many of the problems of metastatic disease group at the outset.

Problems specific to endometrial cancer include:

• Lymphoedema of the lower limbs.
• Pelvic pain syndromes.
• Problems with the bowel or bladder following radiotherapy treatment, these may affect continence of either and occasionally the formation of a stoma such as a colostomy or ileostomy if the lower bowel or rectum is affected by the cancer may be necessary.

Metastatic and recurrent disease

There may be disabling effects from metastatic disease anywhere in the body including:

• Liver metastases – these may cause fatigue and in the later stages, mental confusion, abdominal swelling or pain and jaundice.
• Lung metastases or malignant pleural effusion – may cause very disabling breathlessness reducing mobility to a few yards.
• Brain metastases – these may cause fits, personality change, confusion, difficulties with balance, walking and self care.
• Bone metastases – pain and pathological fractures.

Click on the link for details of:

• Side effects of Chemotherapy
• Radiotherapy & Brachytherapy
• What is Lymphoedema
• Bowel Incontinence
• Psychological effects

Amended April 2008