Endometrial Cancer: Using Evidence to Impact Practice and Policy

• Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic malignancy in the United States.
• Endometrial cancer incidence and death rates have increased over the past decade.
• This paper provides a comprehensive update regarding risk factors, early diagnosis, treatment, and risk reduction strategies for endometrial cancer.
• Nurse practitioners can advocate for patients in the primary care setting to help improve early detection of endometrial cancer and to influence policy changes at the state and national levels that impact earlier referrals to oncologists.

Endometrial cancer is the most commonly diagnosed gynecologic malignancy in the United States. Incidence and death rates have increased over the past decade, which highlights the urgent need to identify ways to reverse this trend. In this paper we present a comprehensive update on endometrial cancer and assess ways to advance practice and policy. Although the Affordable Care Act has expanded access to health care for women, crucial implications exist regarding improving timely access for early detection and treatment of gynecologic cancers, including endometrial cancer.