Getting diagnosed

Screening for womb cancer

There is no national screening programme for womb cancer in the UK. This is because there isn’t a test that can pick up womb cancer at an early stage.

What is cancer screening?

Screening means testing people for early stages of a disease. This is before they have any symptoms. For screening to be useful the tests:

need to be reliable at picking up cancers
overall must do more good than harm to people taking part
must be something that people are willing to do

Screening tests are not perfect and have some risks. The screening programme should also be good value for money for the NHS.

Why there isn’t a screening programme for womb cancer in the UK?

Doctors use transvaginal ultrasound to measure the thickness of the womb's lining (endometrium). This helps them to decide whether postmenopausal women with symptoms need further tests.

One such test after a vaginal ultrasound is biopsy (sampling) of the womb in women with symptoms. Biopsy in women with no symptoms is limited. This is because:

it is not a very acceptable test
it has a high rate of failure
sometimes, there are not enough cells in the biopsy to make a diagnosis
tests need to be repeated

No high-quality studies have looked at the effectiveness of transvaginal ultrasound or biopsy of the womb lining to screen the general population for womb cancer.

Screening for women at a higher risk of womb cancer

The British Gynaecological Cancer Society (BGCS) has womb cancer guidelines for doctors. They recommend that women aged 35 years and older with Lynch syndrome, could be offered yearly screening with a:

transvaginal ultrasound scan
hysteroscopy with or without a biopsy of the womb lining. A hysteroscope is a thin telescope that allows doctors to look into the womb and take samples of tissue

Your doctor should discuss the risks, benefits and limitations of this type of screening with you.

If you have Lynch syndrome, your doctor might offer you surgery once you have had your family. The surgery involves removing your womb and ovaries and reduces the risk of cancer.

The BGCS guidelines also suggest that you should contact your GP without delay if you have Lynch syndrome and abnormal vaginal bleeding.

Talk to your GP if you think you are at increased risk of womb cancer. They may ask questions about any family members who have cancer and the age they were diagnosed. Your GP may be able to reassure you that your risk of womb cancer is not increased. Or they may refer you to a family cancer clinic or genetic clinic for advice.

See your GP if you have any worrying symptoms or possible symptoms of womb cancer.

Last reviewed: 27 Feb 2024

Next review due: 27 Feb 2027

Symptoms of womb cancer

The most common symptom of womb cancer is abnormal bleeding from the vagina. This is especially in women who have stopped having periods (post menopausal women).

Getting diagnosed with womb cancer

You usually start by seeing your GP if you have symptoms that could be due to womb cancer. Your doctor will then decide whether to do tests or refer you to a specialist.

Risks and causes of womb cancer

Being overweight or obese is one of the biggest risks of womb cancer in the UK. There are some other risk factors that can increase your risk of developing womb cancer.

Types and grades of womb cancer

The type of womb cancer you have depends on the type of cell the cancer started in. The grade gives doctors an idea of how fast growing the cancer is.

Stages of womb cancer

The stage of a cancer tells you how big it is and whether it has spread. This helps your doctor decide which treatment you need.

Womb cancer main page

The womb is the pear shaped muscular bag that holds a baby during pregnancy. Most womb cancers start in the lining of the womb. They are also called uterine or endometrial cancer.