Stage 4 womb cancer

The stage of a cancer tells you how big it is and how far it’s spread. It helps your doctor decide which treatment you need.

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
• 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)

Your doctor might call stage 4 cancer advanced cancer.

Treatment

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)
• your general health
• your preferences

Surgery

Depending on how far your cancer has spread, it may be possible to remove as much of the cancer as possible.

After surgery, you are likely to have radiotherapy or chemotherapy, or both.

If you can't have surgery

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 radiotherapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy or a combination of these treatments. And your doctor might suggest you take part in clinical trial.

More information

Coping with advanced cancer can be difficult. It is important to get the information and support you and your loved ones need.