RISK FACTORS AND CLINICAL SPECTRUM OF ENDOMETRIAL CANCER

Background: Endometrial carcinoma (EC) is the second most common gynecologic cancer worldwide and most cases (75%) arediagnosed. Aim of study: Identifying the epidemiology and the risk factors of the disease based on the clinical manifestations,staging, and therapeutically approaches to endometrial cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study conducted in National Cancer Institute, Misurata, Libya where 61 women were diagnosed with endometrial cancer between 2015-2017.The data of the patients were obtained including: age, symptoms, parity, abortion, past medical history, passive smoking,weight, staging, and treatment procedures. The mean age of the studied patients with endometrial cancer was 61.9 ± 11.4 years.The maximum age of the patients was 78 years and the minimum age was 35 years. The most common age group of patients was56-65 years. The most common symptom was vaginal bleeding (83.6%), while weight loss (8.2%) and pelvic pain with constipationaccounted for (5%). Most of the cases were grand parity 70%, and nearly 40% of women have shown history of abortion. Additionally, 13% of patients had an experience with passive smoking, 64% had diabetes and hypertension, and 73.7% of cases wereobese. All of the cases were at stage II or more advanced during diagnosis, and about 40% of cases underwent surgery as a firstchoice treatment. We have observed the association of abnormal vaginal bleeding and abnormal vaginal discharge with endometrialcancer. The study revealed many risk factors of the disease such as obesity, diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Understanding theepidemiology of the disease may assist with the treatment and the prevention strategies as well.