By profession, I’m a gynecologic oncologist. In my private life, I’m a husband, son and father of three daughters. If there is one common message I could share with both my patients and my family it is this: Never dismiss the warning signs of cancer of the reproductive tract.

If you look at all the cancers women are diagnosed with — breast, lung, liver, etc.— endometrial (or uterine) cancer represents 6 percent of cases diagnosed, and it’s the most common cancer of the reproductive tract. The American Cancer Society estimates that a woman’s chance of having this cancer during her lifetime is about 1-in-40.

The good news is endometrial cancer has a precancerous state and an obvious warning sign: irregular vaginal bleeding. When caught early, surgery is often curative. Still, almost 8,000 women die annually from the disease in the U.S.

Endometrial cancers occur most often in women older than 50. Many of my patients tell me they put off seeing a doctor because they thought they are going through menopause.

Routine pap tests rarely detect endometrial cancer, so it’s extremely important that unexplained bleeding—no matter what a woman’s age or life circumstances — be checked out. The most accurate way to diagnose endometrial cancer is with a biopsy, which can be done on an outpatient basis.

Women who are in the premenopausal age range—particularly those with risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension or excessive estrogen usage without the use of progesterone (known as “unopposed estrogen usage”) — should be aware of their risk for uterine cancer. Women with polycystic ovary syndrome and those who have never been pregnant are also at increased risk.

Endometrial cancer can affect women of all ages. Timely medical treatment can be life-saving.

Dr. W. Edward Richards is board-certified in gynecologic oncology to perform cancer care as well as advanced pelvic surgery and specializes in minimally invasive surgical procedures at UC Health University Hospital. To reach him call (513) 584-6373.