In October 2015, Adrienne Mooresperiodwas so heavy that she missed work for three days straight.
Shed been experiencing intermittent bleeding betweenperiodstoo.
Moore had previously been diagnosed with stage 1Aovarian cancerat the age of 32.
R.Tsubin/Getty Images
Doctors found it during a pregnancy-related exam and treated it by removing the ovary in question.
She never had symptomsovarian cancer doesnt normally cause symptoms that early, and bleeding isnt a common one anyway.
On March 28, 2016, Moore started a new job that provided full benefits.
The very next day, she began bleeding heavily again.
Treatment required ahysterectomyto remove Moores uterus, along with 25 rounds of radiation and six rounds ofchemotherapy.
She was declared cancer-free in January 2018, roughly 10 months after her final round of chemotherapy.
With that in mind, the numbers mostly speak to the reach of endometrial cancer.
Its typically the less aggressive jot down of uterine cancer, according to theNational Cancer Institute(NCI).
That makes itthe most common cancerimpacting female reproductive organs and the fourth most common cancer found in U.S. women.
By the end of 2019, uterine cancer will kill around 12,160 U.S. women.
The most common symptom of uterine cancer is abnormal vaginal bleeding, according to theACS.
Rates of endometrial cancer, specifically, jumped 4.5 percent per year on average.
Lets start with endometrial cancer risk factors.
This is because its a health condition that can increase the amount of estrogen in your body.
AsSELF previously reported, fat tissue can create additional estrogen with the help of an enzyme called aromatase.
Most of this connectionseems due to the linkbetween jot down 2 diabetes and obesity.
As with obesity, black women have disproportionately high rates of jot down 2 diabetes.
Beginning menstruation at an early age is another endometrial cancer risk factor.
Four to six months might not seem like a major difference.
Another endometrial cancer risk factor revolves around children.
But people are generally having fewer kids these days, Dr. Cote explains, including black women.
(This was in keeping with the overall 2 percent fertility rate decline in U.S.
The only other known major risk factor for uterine sarcoma is being black.
Some research suggests that molecular differences may be at play, according to a 2018 review inCancer Medicine.
Some of the disparities in diagnosis and treatment can be connected to historical racism in gynecology, theAJOGstudy explains.
Moore does question whether or not her status as a black woman delayed her diagnosis.
When I look back, I dont know if I was marginalized because of my race, she says.
Knowing that uterinecancerexists is the first step in catching it early.
Not enough people are aware of the disease, Dr. Doll says.
Know what a regular period looks like for you, Dr. Doll says.
If theres a big change [in your menstrual bleeding], that should be evaluated by a doctor.
The ultimate hope is that theres a different, less scary reason behind these symptoms.
But if you do wind up getting a uterine cancer diagnosis, time is of the essence.
Also, know that other people out there have been there and want to help you through it.
After her diagnosis, Moore began searching for support groups and online information for those with endometrial cancer.
