The womb

The womb, or uterus, is a muscular, pear-shaped organ at the top of the vagina. The lining of the womb is called the endometrium and is shed each month, giving rise to bleeding called a period. These periods stop temporarily during pregnancy and will normally continue until a woman has the menopause.

If cancer starts in the womb lining it is called endometrial cancer and this booklet is about this type of cancer. Approximately, 5,000 women in the UK develop endometrial cancer each year.

Cancer that starts in the muscle layers of the womb is called uterine sarcoma and this type of cancer is discussed in CancerBACUP’s information on soft tissue sarcomas.

The lower part of the womb is called the cervix. Sometimes it is also called the neck of the womb. CancerBACUP has a separate section on cancer of the cervix.

Close to the womb are collections of lymph nodes. These are small glands, about the size of a bean. The lymph nodes are part of the lymphatic system. This is a network of glands throughout the body, linked by fine ducts through which a colourless fluid, the lymph, passes and acts as a defence against disease.