Treatment Options by Stage

Stage I Endometrial Cancer
Stage II Endometrial Cancer
Stage III Endometrial Cancer
Stage IV Endometrial Cancer

A link to a list of current clinical trials is included for each treatment section. For some types or stagesof cancer, there may not be any trials listed. Check with your doctor for clinical trials that are not listed here but may be right for you.

Stage I Endometrial Cancer

Treatment of stage I endometrial cancer may include the following:

• Surgery (total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy). Lymph nodes in the pelvis andabdomen may also be removed and viewed under a microscope to check for cancer cells.
• Surgery (total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, with or without removal of lymph nodes in the pelvis and abdomen) followed by internal or external radiation therapy to the pelvis. After surgery, a plastic cylinder containing a source of radiation may be placed in the vagina to kill any remaining cancer cells.
• Radiation therapy alone for patients who cannot have surgery.
• Clinical trials of new types of treatment.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients withstage I endometrial carcinoma. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Stage II Endometrial Cancer

Treatment of stage II endometrial cancer is usually surgery (radical hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy). Lymph nodes in the pelvis and abdomen may also be removed and viewed under a microscope to check for cancer cells. Radiation therapy may follow surgery.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients withstage II endometrial carcinoma. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Stage III Endometrial Cancer

Treatment of stage III endometrial cancer may include the following:

• Surgery (radical hysterectomy and removal of lymph nodes in the pelvis so they can be viewed under a microscope to check for cancer cells) followed by adjuvant chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy.

• Treatment Options for Recurrent Endometrial Cancer

  Treatment of recurrent endometrial cancer may include the following:
  • Radiation therapy as palliative therapy to relieve symptoms and improve the patient’s quality of life.
  • Hormone therapy.
  • Clinical trials of chemotherapy.
  Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients withrecurrent endometrial carcinoma. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
• Chemotherapy combined with internal and external radiation therapy for patients who cannot have surgery.
• Hormone therapy for patients who cannot have surgery or radiation therapy.
• A clinical trial of biologic therapy with or without chemotherapy.
• Clinical trials of new types of treatment.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients withstage III endometrial carcinoma. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Stage IV Endometrial Cancer

Treatment of stage IV endometrial cancer may include the following:

• Surgery followed by chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy.
• Internal and external radiation therapy for patients who cannot have surgery.
• Hormone therapy for patients whose cancer has spread to distant parts of the body (such as thelungs).
• Clinical trials of chemotherapy.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients withstage IV endometrial carcinoma. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.