Stages
Doctors use the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging system for womb cancer. There are four stages, numbered 1 to 4.
Although a 2023 version of the FIGO system is available, doctors in the UK generally use the 2021 version.
Stage 4 means the cancer has spread to another area of the body. There are 2 categories of stage 4 womb cancer:
4A means the cancer has grown into the bowel or bladder, or both
4B means the cancer has spread to lymph nodes further away, or to other parts of the body, such as the , lungs, liver, bones or brain (secondary cancers or metastases), or both
Your doctor might call stage 4 cancer advanced cancer.
The stage of your cancer helps your doctor to decide which treatment you need. Treatment also depends on:
the type of womb cancer you have
how the cancer is likely to behave (the grade)
the risk of your cancer coming back after surgery (low, intermediate, high-intermediate, high)
whether your cancer has any gene changes (mutations)
your general health
your preferences
Depending on how far your cancer has spread, it may be possible to remove as much of the cancer as possible.
Read about surgery for womb cancer
There are several reasons why you might not have surgery, including:
your cancer is too difficult to remove
it has spread to areas further away in your body, such as the liver and lungs
you are not fit enough for surgery
you choose not to have it
You might have one or more of the following treatments:
chemotherapy
radiotherapy
immunotherapy
hormone therapy
Your doctor might also suggest you take part in a clinical trial.
After surgery you may have one of the following treatments:
external radiotherapy with chemotherapy and then more chemotherapy
chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy
chemotherapy on its own
Some people may have treatment with immunotherapy or a targeted cancer drug. This will depend on your situation and whether you’ve had other treatments before. Possible treatments include:
immunotherapy with chemotherapy
immunotherapy on its own
immunotherapy and a targeted cancer drug
You doctor may recommend you have chemotherapy to try to slow the growth of the cancer and to relieve symptoms.
Read about immunotherapy and targeted therapy
You will also have other more specific treatments that help with any symptoms you have. This might include pain killers for pain or medicines for sickness.
There might be trials of experimental treatments which you could take part in. These might be looking at:
new treatments
ways to improve existing treatments such as radiotherapy or chemotherapy and when you have them
You can search our clinical trials database for womb cancer trials.
Find out more about clinical trials
Last reviewed: 27 Mar 2024
Next review due: 27 Mar 2027
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.
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.
Your treatment depends on several factors. These include what type of womb cancer you have, how big it is, whether it has spread (the stage) and the grade. It also depends on your general health.
There is support available during and after treatment to help you cope. This includes support from your clinical nurse specialist, cancer charities, community services, and family and friends.
Survival depends on many factors including the stage and grade of your womb cancer.
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Search our clinical trials database for all cancer trials and studies recruiting in the UK.
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