Symptoms of womb cancer

The most usual early symptom of cancer of the womb is abnormal vaginal bleeding. This may occur as:

• bleeding which starts after the menopause (in post-menopausal women)
• bleeding between periods
• heavier periods than normal (in pre-menopausal women)
• abnormal vaginal discharge.

Abnormal vaginal bleeding may be due to many causes other than cancer, but you should always see your GP about it.

Having had a recent normal cervical screening test| (smear test) does not mean that you do not have cancer of the womb. A smear test involves a scrape of cells from the surface of the cervix. The cervix is the lower part womb. Occasionally a smear test may show signs of a cancer of the lining of the womb, but this is unusual.

Other symptoms of womb cancer might be:

• pain in the lower abdomen (tummy), back or legs
• discomfort or pain during sexual intercourse.