What Are the Risk Factors?

Photo of a woman drinking coffee

Several factors may increase the chance that you will get uterine cancer.

There is no way to know for sure if you will get uterine cancer. Some women get it without being at high risk. However, several factors may increase the chance that you will get uterine cancer, including if you—

  • Are older than 50.
  • Have obesity.
  • Take estrogen by itself (without progesterone) for hormone replacement during menopause.
  • Have had trouble getting pregnant, or have had fewer than five periods in a year before starting menopause.
  • Take tamoxifen, a drug used to prevent and treat certain types of breast cancer.
  • Have close family members who have had uterine, colon, or ovarian cancer.
  • Have a genetic mutation (change) that raises your risk, including BRCA1 or BRCA2, or one associated with Lynch syndrome.

If one or more of these things is true for you, it does not mean you will get uterine cancer. But you should speak with your doctor to see if he or she recommends more frequent exams.