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Menopause (Expert Forum)
Menopause question
Answered by
Machelle Seibel, MD - Women's Health, menopause, ReproductiveMedicine
University of Massachusetts Medical School
MA
Questions in the Menopause forum are answered by Dr. Machelle Seibel. Topics covered include menopause issues, depression, hormone replacement therapy , hot flashes, joint or muscle problems, memory problems, mood swings, osteoporosis , sexual problems, skin changes, sleeping problems, vaginal problems, and weight problems.
Menopause question
by kalvarez, May 21, 2007 12:00AM
I had an ultrasound done and the doctor told me that I had Endometrial Thickening. What exactly does this mean? I have read that it can turn in to cancer. Is this true and please explain. Thanks
Doctor's Answer
by Machelle Seibel, MD, May 21, 2007 12:00AM
, May 21, 2007 12:00AM
The uterine lining is called the endometrium. Each month during a woman's reproductive career the lining builds up and if there isn't a pregnancy, the lining sheds which is the woman's menstrual period. After menopause, hormone levels are low and the lining becomes thin, 4mm or less. If a woman has a uterus and is placed on estrogen, the lining will thicken and over time, maybe 10 years it can turn into cancer. That is why women who have a uterus and who take estrogen must also take progesterone. The progesterone makes the lining shed or become thin.
If you are in menopause and have a thick uterine lining, your doctor might want to check the lining with an office procedure called an endometrial biopsy. It causes mild cramping and takes only a few minutes. A thin instrument is placed into the uterus and a few cells scraped out to be viewed by a pathologist under a microscope. Sometimes a D & C is done. That involves anesthesia in the operating room and scrapes the entire lining. It is more accurate. Depending on the results, a person may need no treatment, hormonal treatment or surgery. If there is a problem and it is caught early, whatever the problem, it usually can be cured.
Machelle Seibel, MD
If you are in menopause and have a thick uterine lining, your doctor might want to check the lining with an office procedure called an endometrial biopsy. It causes mild cramping and takes only a few minutes. A thin instrument is placed into the uterus and a few cells scraped out to be viewed by a pathologist under a microscope. Sometimes a D & C is done. That involves anesthesia in the operating room and scrapes the entire lining. It is more accurate. Depending on the results, a person may need no treatment, hormonal treatment or surgery. If there is a problem and it is caught early, whatever the problem, it usually can be cured.
Machelle Seibel, MD
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