Dr Amir Khan

And I've heard on the news that at some point in the near coming future, you're going to be able to screen yourself.

You don't have to go for smears.

You can just stick it up yourself and sort it out yourself.

We're usually talking about endometrial or inside lining of the womb cancer here.

And estrogen does play a part there, particularly what we call unopposed estrogen, where the estrogen isn't being balanced out by progesterone.

So estrogen causes the lining of the womb to thicken up.

And so to grow.

So anything growing is the cells are dividing and getting bigger.

So anything that causes cell division, because for cells to divide, they have to replicate their DNA.

And so anything that causes that increases the risk of a random mutation while that replication is going on.

So oestrogen, generally, you know, it's a hormone, it's generally safe.

But the problem is unopposed oestrogen.

So progesterone has a protective effect on that.

So that is why when women with a womb go on HRT, they're given progesterone as well as the oestrogen.

Yes.

Now...

There are some things that increase your risk of womb cancer and not having been pregnant or not having children is one of the risk factors for, yes, because your womb hasn't had a break from that up and down of oestrogen that your monthly cycles cause.

So if you've been pregnant, let's say twice, you've had almost two years off, particularly if you're breastfeeding as well, and so your womb has almost had a break from those higher levels of oestrogen.

And so if you've not had children, that does put you at increased risk slightly, but it does.

And also if you've had started your periods early or if you've had a late menopause, because again, you've been exposed to those higher levels of oestrogen for a longer period of time, that does increase your risk as well of womb cancer.