Uterine sarcoma is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the muscles of the uterus or other tissues that support the uterus.
The uterus is part of the female reproductive system. The uterus is the hollow, pear-shaped organ in the pelvis, where a fetus grows. The cervix is at the lower, narrow end of the uterus, and leads to the vagina.
Uterine sarcoma is a very rare kind of cancer that forms in the uterine muscles or in tissues that support the uterus.
Uterine sarcoma is different from endometrial cancer, a disease in which cancer forms in the tissue that lines the uterus. Carcinosarcoma is a subtype of endometrial cancer and is staged using endometrial cancer definitions. For more information, visit Endometrial Cancer Treatment.
Uterine sarcoma includes leiomyosarcomas, endometrial stromal sarcomas, and adenosarcomas. For more information about other types of sarcomas, visit Soft Tissue Sarcoma Treatment.
Risk factors for uterine sarcoma
Anything that increases a person's chance of getting a disease is called a risk factor. Not every person with one or more of these risk factors will develop uterine sarcoma, and it will develop in some people who don't have any known risk factors. Talk with your doctor if you think you may be at risk.
Risk factors for uterine sarcoma include:
