Project 415540

Obesity is a significant cause of uterine cancer. Uterine cancer used to be most prevalent in women over 60; however, as obesity has been rising across the population, an increasing rate of uterine cancer has been observed in women under 40. The standard treatment for uterine cancer is hysterectomy, or removal of the uterus. This radical treatment is devastating for women of reproductive age who still want to have children. In an effort to preserve fertility, hormone treatment with progestin has been explored as an alternative to hysterectomy. However, progestin does not address obesity, the true cause of uterine cancer. In addition, it causes weight gain and is associated with high chance of cancer recurrence. Weight loss is a promising new treatment for uterine cancer that preserves fertility while addressing the root cause of uterine cancer - obesity -thus preventing recurrence. For women with obesity and uterine cancer, significant weight loss is required on a timeline that can only be achieved realistically through weight-loss surgery, such as bariatric (stomach reduction) surgery. Weight loss through bariatric surgery has the potential to treat obesity, preserve fertility, and more effectively treat uterine cancer. The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions and attitudes towards bariatric surgery as a fertility-preserving treatment for uterine cancer in younger women (40 years old and younger) who have both uterine cancer and obesity. The results of this study will inform clinical practice through more productive oncologist-patient conversations, and the development and design of a larger pilot study of bariatric surgery as a treatment for uterine cancer.