WASHINGTON, DC. (WOWO) — Cancer is generally diagnosed later in life, but new research shows several types of cancer are becoming more common among younger adults, including uterine cancer.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health found that between 2010 and 2019, rates of 14 types of cancer increased among people younger than 50.

Uterine cancer was among the cancers showing an increase, and researchers also found rising death rates from the disease among younger people.

Most uterine cancers begin in the endometrium, the inner lining of the uterus.

For women, doctors say one of the most important warning signs is abnormal vaginal bleeding — and they say it should not be dismissed simply because someone is young.

Amy Nissen learned that firsthand.

Nissen’s first symptoms appeared in March 2024, when she began experiencing unusually heavy vaginal bleeding.

“It was the heaviest vaginal bleeding I’d ever had in my entire life,” Nissen said. “I could never get ahead of it. I could never get it under control.”

Nissen said she had experienced regular periods for more than three decades and had never dealt with bleeding severe enough to interfere with her daily life.

“I had been having my period for 30-some years and never had to take a change of clothes to work, and now I was having to take a change of clothes,” she said.

At first, Nissen searched online for an explanation. She said much of the information she found about endometrial cancer focused on women who were post-menopausal and older than 60.

Because she did not fit that description, she did not initially consider cancer a likely explanation.

“It was one of those things that I was so embarrassed about it,” Nissen said. “I didn’t really bring it up to anybody.”

The bleeding eventually became serious enough to send her to an emergency room.

She was diagnosed with endometrial cancer shortly before her 43rd birthday.

“I wasn’t really grasping it yet,” Nissen said. “It was still such a shock.”

Doctors say her experience illustrates why age should not be used as a reason to dismiss abnormal bleeding.

Dr. Lindsey McAlarnen, a gynecologic oncologist at Nebraska Medicine, said she is seeing more women in their 20s, 30s and 40s diagnosed with uterine cancer.

National cancer data also shows an increase in endometrial cancer, which is the most common type of uterine cancer.

According to estimates cited by the report, about 62,000 cases of endometrial cancer were diagnosed in the United States in 2025, with approximately 12,500 deaths.

McAlarnen said obesity is one factor associated with uterine cancer and can also increase the risk that the disease will return after treatment.

“We see that obesity in general is a risk factor for uterine cancer, but it’s also a risk factor for uterine cancer coming back or recurrence,” McAlarnen said.

She said maintaining a healthy lifestyle and healthy weight can benefit patients, although cancer can occur in people who do not have those risk factors.

For women, McAlarnen said abnormal bleeding is the symptom that deserves particular attention.

“Either heavy bleeding or in somebody who has gone through menopause and stopped having periods, any type of bleeding that shows up after they’ve had no bleeding for a year, that’s a reason to see your doctor or provider, because it could be a cancer growing in the lining of the uterus,” she said.

Other potential symptoms include new or unusual vaginal discharge and persistent pelvic pain.

For women who have gone through menopause, any vaginal bleeding after a year without periods warrants medical evaluation, according to McAlarnen.

The reason early detection matters is that endometrial cancer can often be treated successfully when it is found before it spreads.

McAlarnen said survival is greater than 95% when the cancer is diagnosed at stage one, while the outlook can become significantly worse after the disease spreads to other parts of the body.

“I’ve seen too many older women who thought that getting a period again was normal or who thought that having a little bit of spotting with wiping wasn’t something to worry about,” McAlarnen said.

“And then if you leave it untreated for even a year, cancer can spread and that can really impact your chances of survival.”

Nissen’s cancer was caught early, and she did not need chemotherapy.

She chose to undergo a total hysterectomy, a procedure that removes the uterus.

“I know that’s not the choice for all women. It was what was right for me and where I was in life,” Nissen said.

Nissen said she has recovered well and continues to undergo regular monitoring.

Her treatment experience is not necessarily representative of every patient. Treatment for endometrial cancer depends on factors including the type and stage of cancer, overall health and whether the disease has spread.

Nissen and McAlarnen are now working with GSK on its “Don’t Be Embarrassed” campaign, which encourages women to discuss potentially concerning symptoms with their health care providers.

Nissen said she hopes sharing her experience will help another woman recognize a symptom she might otherwise ignore.

“The more conversations we can have, the more it chips away at that stigma,” Nissen said.

“Somebody maybe if they’re hearing my story will go, hey, I haven’t been talking about it but I have something really similar to this going on. I should go get that checked out. Because it can change your life and it could even save your life if you go to your doctor.”

McAlarnen also encouraged women not to be embarrassed about bringing up abnormal bleeding or other reproductive health symptoms.

“Don’t be afraid to come in and start that conversation,” she said.

McAlarnen also cautioned women about using hormone products, including pills or topical treatments, without discussing them with a health care provider.

She said exposure to excess estrogen can increase the risk of endometrial cancer in some circumstances, making it important for patients to discuss hormone use, risks and benefits with their doctors.

The broader message from doctors is that unusual bleeding should not automatically be attributed to age, stress or normal hormonal changes.

For younger women, persistent or unusually heavy bleeding may have a range of possible causes, many of them unrelated to cancer. But because endometrial cancer can be more treatable when caught early, medical evaluation can help determine what is causing the symptoms.

Nissen says she wishes she had felt more comfortable talking about her symptoms sooner.

Her experience is now part of an effort to encourage women to have those conversations before a potentially serious condition has time to progress.

“If you go to your doctor,” Nissen said, “it could change your life and it could even save your life.”