Symptoms of womb cancer

Examples of abnormal vaginal bleeding include:

• 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) doesn’t mean that you don’t 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 of the womb|. Occasionally a smear test may show signs of a cancer of the lining of the womb, but this is unusual.

Other, less common, symptoms of womb cancer are:

• pain in the lower abdomen (tummy), back or legs
• swelling in the abdomen or legs
• loss of appetite and weight
• constipation
• being sick (vomiting)
• passing urine more than usual
• tiredness and weakness.

These symptoms are more likely to be caused by conditions other than womb cancer, but if you have them it’s important to get them checked by your GP.