Treatment of Stage I and Stage II Endometrial Cancer

For information about the treatments listed below, see the Treatment Option Overview section.

Low-risk endometrial cancer (grade 1 or grade 2)

Treatment of low-risk stage I endometrial cancer and stage II endometrial cancer may include the following:

• Surgery (total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy). Lymph nodes in the pelvis and abdomen may also be removed and viewed under a microscope to check for cancer cells.
• Surgery (total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, with or without removal of lymph nodes in the pelvis and abdomen) followed by internal radiation therapy. In certain cases, external radiation therapy to the pelvis may be used in place of internal radiation therapy.
• Radiation therapy alone for patients who cannot have surgery.
• A clinical trial of a new chemotherapy regimen.

If cancer has spread to the cervix, a radical hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy may be done.

High-risk endometrial cancer (grade 3)

Treatment of high-risk stage I endometrial cancer and stage II endometrial cancer may include the following:

• Surgery (radical hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy). Lymph nodes in the pelvis and abdomen may also be removed and viewed under a microscope to check for cancer cells.
• Surgery (radical hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy) followed by chemotherapy and sometimes radiation therapy.
• A clinical trial of a new chemotherapy regimen.

Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.