{"id":717639,"date":"2026-06-05T20:49:20","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T20:49:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/717639\/"},"modified":"2026-06-05T20:49:20","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T20:49:20","slug":"uterine-cancer-is-increasing-in-australia-but-most-women-have-never-heard-of-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/717639\/","title":{"rendered":"Uterine cancer is increasing in Australia, but most women have never heard of it"},"content":{"rendered":"

Within nine short weeks, 56-year-old Simone Crerar went from complaining about abdominal pain, to dying in her sleep.<\/p>\n

It was a sharp decline her brother Scott Crerar still struggles to come to terms with.<\/p>\n

“It just happened so quickly,” Mr Crerar said.<\/p>\n

He said his little sister was misdiagnosed multiple times in the months leading up to her death, with her symptoms being repeatedly missed.<\/p>\n

Towards the end of her life, Ms Crerar’s stomach visibly swelled, she had no energy and was barely eating.<\/p>\n

“It’s just a bit mind-boggling that [Ms Crerar’s case] wasn’t escalated,” he said.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Simone Crerar, pictured with brothers Stephen and Scott Crerar, was a much-loved sister and loyal friend. (Supplied: Crerar family)<\/p>\n

A post-mortem examination found Ms Crerar had metastatic uterine leiomyosarcoma, a rare and highly aggressive type of uterine cancer which had already spread to her liver.<\/p>\n

A growing number of Australian women are being diagnosed with uterine cancer.<\/p>\n

It’s the fastest-rising women\u2019s cancer in Australia, with the incidence doubling over the past 25 years.<\/p>\n

But it’s also a disease without a public profile, with about nine in 10 women<\/a> not knowing uterine cancer exists, let alone about the warning signs and risk factors.<\/p>\n

Knowing the risk factors is important because experts say many cases of uterine cancer are preventable.<\/p>\n

Uterine cancers symptoms and incidence<\/p>\n

The early warning signs for uterine cancer include abnormal vaginal bleeding, unexplained weight loss, abdominal pain and bowel movement changes.<\/p>\n

In Australia, about 3,400 women a year are diagnosed with the disease.<\/p>\n

Up to 95 per cent of cases are endometrial cancer, in the lining of the uterus, but some rare cases start in the muscle walls.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

The most common symptom of uterine cancer is unusual vaginal bleeding. (Supplied: ANZGOG)<\/p>\n

Most women who get it, like Ms Crerar, are over 50, but there’s an increasing number of younger women being diagnosed, with rates rising fastest in women aged 25\u201344.<\/p>\n

Anthony Richards, gynaecological oncologist at Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, said two of the key drivers behind these growing rates were obesity and diabetes.<\/p>\n

Obesity, Dr Richards explained, led to an increased production of “unopposed estrogen” which drove the development of endometrial cancer.<\/p>\n

Elevated insulin and insulin resistance associated with type 2 diabetes also played a role in endometrial cancer development.<\/p>\n

Dr Richards said endometrial cancer was generally curable with surgery alone, with about 70 per cent of cases diagnosed in stage one.<\/p>\n

But low public awareness about the risks and early warning signs of uterine cancer could sometimes lead to a delayed diagnosis and poorer outcomes, Dr Richards said.<\/p>\n

These poorer outcomes are reflected in figures from the Australia New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group (ANZGOG) which show that the mortality rate of uterine cancer has been steadily increasing<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Researchers searching for risk factors<\/p>\n

According to ANZGOG up to 60 per cent of cases of uterine cancer in Australia are potentially preventable<\/a> with greater public awareness, prompt attention to symptoms and better management of the disease’s main risk factors: obesity and diabetes.<\/p>\n

And although obesity is a recognised risk factor, it’s not the whole picture, explained QIMR Berghofer cancer genetic susceptibility laboratory head Tracy O’Mara.<\/p>\n

“Not everybody that’s diagnosed has excess weight and not everybody that has been living with obesity develops endometrial cancer,” she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“There’s lots of other things that are at play as well.”<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Tracy O’Mara is researching uterine cancer, trying to pinpoint the genetic risk factors. (Supplied: QIMR Berghofer)<\/p>\n

Dr O’Mara’s team is trying to pinpoint the genetic profile which make some people more at risk of developing uterine cancer than others.<\/p>\n

In a study published in 2023, Dr O’Mara’s team found that women with life-long higher levels of testosterone<\/a> could be at greater risk of developing endometrial cancer.<\/p>\n

Researchers tested this potential high genetic risk profile in a new study, published earlier this year<\/a>, finding women with the profile but a “healthy” BMI were twice as as likely to develop uterine cancer as the general population.<\/p>\n

And women who had the high genetic risk profile and were also obese were five times as likely.<\/p>\n

Although more research and testing is needed, Dr O’Mara said their findings proved genetics played an “independent” role in endometrial cancer risk.<\/p>\n

ABC Health in your Instagram feed<\/a><\/p>\n

Follow @abchealth on Instagram, where we’re busting myths and sharing practical, smart health advice.<\/p>\n

Dr O’Mara said pinpointing these genetic risk factors was an important step as it could help scientists develop targeted treatments.<\/p>\n

At the moment, the first-line treatment for uterine cancer is a hysterectomy.<\/p>\n

Not only was this a highly invasive process, it can present significant issues for younger women who want to preserve their fertility.<\/p>\n

Raising awareness needs funding and research<\/p>\n

ANZGOG chair and oncologist Clare Scott said between 2003 and 2020, Australia spent about $18 million on uterine cancer research compared to more than $400 million for breast cancer over that same period.<\/p>\n

Even taking into consideration the higher incidence of breast cancer, there was still a significant funding gap, Professor Scott said.<\/p>\n

“Gynaecological cancers and uterine cancer have been under-resourced for 20 years compared to other types of cancer,” she said.\"A<\/p>\n

Professor Clare Scott, an internationally recognised expert in gynaecological cancer research. (Supplied: ANZGOG)<\/p>\n

This low level of research funding is one of the reasons for the general lack of awareness about uterine cancer in Australia, Professor Scott said.<\/p>\n

Another factor at play was shame, Professor Scott explained, with many people still squeamish to talk about diseases below the waist.<\/p>\n

The hallmark symptom of most uterine cancers was abnormal vaginal bleeding, she said, which many women found hard to talk about with peers or doctors.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Simone Crerar’s family want their loyal, loving and kind sister to be remembered by the life she lived, not just her illness.\u00a0 (Supplied: Crerar family)<\/p>\n

In New South Wales, Ms Crarar’s brothers are still coming to terms with their loss, remembering their little sister as a kind woman with a deep love of animals and the great outdoors.<\/p>\n

Ms Crerar’s brothers hope that by sharing their sister’s story, they can help spread awareness and break down any stigma and shame.<\/p>\n

They want women in Australia to be aware of the warning signs to look out for, and to reach out for help if they notice anything unusual.<\/p>\n

And to push harder for more answers if their symptoms aren’t being taken seriously.<\/p>\n

“I hope Simone’s legacy is that more women are aware [of the symptoms], and they have the opportunity to fight the disease,” Mr Crerar said.<\/p>\n

An opportunity, Mr Crerar said, his strong, resilient, loyal, loving little sister was never given.<\/p>\n