Medical history (history of illness) is an important component in the diagnosis of endometrial cancer (cancer of the lining of the uterus).
Family history
- Is there a history of frequent tumors in your family (colorectal or breast cancer)?
- Are there any hereditary diseases (HNPCC syndrome – Hereditary Non-Polyposis Colon Cancer Syndrome) in your family?
Social history
Current medical history/systemic history (somatic and psychological complaints).
- What symptoms have you noticed?
- Do you have prolonged (> 6 days) and increased menstrual bleeding?
- Do you have bleeding occurring outside of menstruation (menstruation)?
- Have you noticed any discharge from the vagina? If so, what does this look like?
- How long have these complaints/changes existed?
- Do you have any pain in your lower abdomen?
Vegetative anamnesis including nutritional anamnesis.
- When was your first menstrual period? When was your last menstrual period?
- Have there ever been any cycle abnormalities?
- Have you given birth to children?
- Has your appetite changed?
- Have you lost body weight unintentionally?
- Are you overweight? Please tell us your body weight (in kg) and height (in cm).
- Do you smoke? If so, how many cigarettes, cigars or pipes per day?
- Do you drink alcohol? If yes, what drink(s) and how many glasses per day?
- Do you use drugs? If yes, what drugs and how often per day or per week?
Self history incl. medication history.
- Pre-existing conditions (tumor diseases, diabetes mellitus (diabetes)).
- Operations
- Radiotherapy
- Allergies
- Pregnancies
Medication history
- Hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
- Hormone therapy with estrogens alone without progestin protection in nonhysterectomized women.
- Long-term use of estrogens (estrogen monotherapy) (during and after menopause): 2.7-fold risk (95% CI 2.2-3.4); ≥ 10 years: 9.5-fold risk
- The use of progesterone or dydrogesterone as part of continuous combined hormone therapy may increase the risk of developing endometrial cancer.
- Long-term use of continuous-combined hormone replacement therapy for >6 years or >10 years may result in an increased risk of endometrial cancer.
- Tamoxifen therapy for breast cancer (mammary carcinoma) – slightly increased risk if duration of use > 5 years.
- Long-term use of tibolone (estrogenic agent used to treat symptoms of estrogen deficiency due to menopause).
