Before my mother’s diagnosis, I knew nothing about endometrial cancer. Here’s what I found out

“It’s cancer.” These are two words that nobody ever wants to listen to, but also they are two words that can ultimately rock my world. I just returned to the United States after a yr of living and dealing in South Korea. My mother, who was 63 years old on the time, complained to me about menstrual pain and weird spotting. Given her post-menopausal age, I knew something was incorrect. We later found out that the perpetrator was endometrial cancer.

My first response was for her to make an appointment together with her GP. I was scared, so I knew she was scared. But she did what I asked. After several tests and a biopsy, the doctor revealed the unexpected. Almost on cue, my mother burst into tears. Neither of us had heard of endometrial cancer, nor did we all know anyone who had been personally affected by it. Sure, I’ve heard other black women share their heartbreaking endometriosis stories, but never the cancer version. So what was it exactly?

“Endometriosis is a non-cancerous disease that usually causes pain during periods. This happens when cells that line the inside of the uterus (also called the endometrium) grow outside the uterus and attach to the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and abdominal cavity,” says Dr. Stephanie Marshall Thompson, M.D. CCRM Fertility says ESSENCE. “Endometrial cancer occurs when cancer cells grow from cells lining the inside of the uterus. Fortunately, most endometrial cancers are detected early, which is why education about symptoms and risk factors is so important.”

My mother’s doctor expressed the identical sentiment: “You probably caught this disease in its early stages, so we will be able to offer a broader range of treatments.” As we prepared to start this fight – together, a sigh of relief enveloped us. During my first visits to the oncologist, I had quite a lot of questions. “What caused this?” “Is it genetic and am I now at increased risk too?” “Could she have done something to prevent this?”

According to Dr. Thompson, “The biggest risk factor for endometrial cancer is obesity. This is because the tissue in the fat cells produces estrogen, which can create abnormal cells in the uterus. Maintaining a healthy weight is the best preventive measure to reduce the risk of endometrial cancer. Other risk factors include postmenopause, a history of irregular menstrual cycles, diabetes, high blood pressure and a history of infertility.”

My mother was considered obese and, in fact, she was postmenopausal. Unfortunately, she also struggled with hypertension at times. As a Black woman from the South, a lot of her not-so-healthy habits were inherited and passed on to me for the primary half of my life. I was also considered morbidly obese as a toddler, but when I became an adult, I completely modified my lifestyle. My goal, in turn, was to pass on what I had learned to my mother within the hopes that she, too, could make a change. However, like most moms, she had her own approach.

Instead of talking about it, I just held her hand. Early on, her oncologist suggested a genetic test to find out if I was also potentially in danger for the disease. We determined that, fortunately, she didn’t have the gene that will be passed on to me. Another sigh of relief for each of us.

This was until the primary surgery was performed.

It was suggested that she allow the oncologist to surgically remove any cancer cells from the liner of the uterus using a robot-like procedure. We were told it might be minimally invasive and would only take just a few hours. However, after we didn’t hear any news about 4 hours into the procedure, my stomach began turning.

The doctor finally got here into the waiting room and told us, “We discovered that your mom’s cancer is more serious than expected. It has already started to spread to other areas of her body, which means it is stage four cancer. It also means she has had cancer for much longer than she thought.”

There was an instantaneous panic attack.

Once I had collected myself, my aunt on my mother’s side finally revealed to me that my mother had been complaining to her about pain and spotting for a while, but she was too afraid to envision it out because I was to this point away. (I should point out that I am my mother’s only child.) Upon hearing this, anger quickly replaced panic.

“Why wouldn’t you make her get checked out first?” I just couldn’t understand. However, given my family history, I knew that black families often avoid uncomfortable things, especially in the case of our health. There are times in our communities after we just sweep things under the rug because we do not know anything about them, and we feel like if we ignore the issue, we are going to one way or the other disappear. But that is never the case.

“Black women are twice as likely to die from endometrial cancer as white women. This is likely secondary to access to care, lack of awareness, and the fact that black women are at increased risk for more aggressive forms of endometrial cancer,” explains Dr. Thompson. “The most typical symptom of endometrial cancer is postmenopausal bleeding, including light-colored, watery discharge. For women who haven’t yet undergone menopause, heavy bleeding between periods also must be checked.

Despite a brave, two-and-a-half-year fight – months longer than doctors predicted – my mother gained her wings in 2021. During this almost 30-month period, she endured several rounds of chemo, a complete hysterectomy, hair loss, more medications than you possibly can count, and more. But she never complained. I will at all times admire the best way she checked out endometrial cancer and did every little thing she could to reverse what it did to it.

Now that I know rather more about this disease – and, truthfully, many others that disproportionately affect black women – I make a more conscious effort to remain on top of the signs and symptoms and get tested when an issue or abnormality arises. As I openly share this story, I hope you too will do the identical for yourself and the people you like.