Unveiling the Unseen: Uterine Cancer Demands Our Attention

Uterine cancer (also known as endometrial/womb cancer) is often overlooked, even though incidence is rapidly on the rise.1,2 The time for action is now. AstraZeneca, leading medical societies and patient advocacy organisations joined forces to break the silence, confront the stigma, and demand equitable care for every woman impacted by uterine cancer. Discover why early detection is critical and how we can collectively help transform the future for patients.

Uterine cancer – often silent, often overlooked – is on the rise. Did you know that uterine cancer incidence has risen by more than 15% globally over the last three decades and is projected to increase further by 2050?1,2

At AstraZeneca, we believe this needs to change. In collaboration with 11 medical societies and patient advocacy organisations* worldwide, we are joining forces to call for real, global change – because women everywhere deserve better, and the time to act is now.

The Silent Epidemic: Why Are We Not Talking About Uterine Cancer Enough?

Why does uterine (or endometrial/womb) cancer remain so under-prioritised, even though it is among the most common gynaecological cancers?3,4 Unlike cervical and ovarian cancer, it hasn't benefited from widespread public awareness, or coordinated efforts for prevention, diagnosis and care. Most national cancer plans still omit it, and it’s routinely absent from major non-communicable disease (NCD) and women’s health strategies.5

This oversight isn’t merely administrative; it’s rooted in societal stigma and historical neglect. Women, particularly those in underserved communities, often find their voices lost to discomfort and silence.

The pervasive stigma surrounding gynaecological health often leads to reluctance to discuss symptoms and may result in delayed diagnosis. At AstraZeneca, we are committed to empowering communities to speak up and support earlier diagnosis initiatives.

Dr Neelima Denduluri Vice President, OBU Medical Affairs, GU/GYN

A Growing Burden: What Happens When We Keep Ignoring Uterine Cancer?

The numbers may reveal a stark reality: rising incidence is fuelled by aging populations, increasing rates of obesity and metabolic disorders, and changing reproductive patterns.3,6 The true costs, however, are much greater.

Early detection means better outcomes:7,8

  • Five-year survival is up to 95% when uterine cancer is diagnosed early
  • This drops to less than 20% for advanced or recurrent cases

Delays may cost lives and could strain healthcare systems and economies. Every missed conversation, every undetected symptom, could amplify adverse outcomes.

Breaking Down Barriers: How Can We Achieve Equitable Care for All Women?

Uterine cancer cannot be fought in isolation. A transformed future demands concrete action – from policymakers, health systems, advocacy groups and industry.

Critical barriers remain:

Missed opportunities to identify high-risk individuals – especially those with conditions such as obesity, diabetes, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), or Lynch Syndrome3,6,9,10

Low awareness of symptoms among both women and primary care providers, leading to significant diagnostic delays1,11,12

Persistent stigma and gender-based barriers that keep many women from seeking timely care1,13

Access gaps in diagnostics and specialist care, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)14,15

Slow uptake of innovation and underfunding of research, due to limited clinician awareness, slow guidelines updates, and insufficient funding16,17

Are we doing enough? Clearly, more must be done – together.

Charting a New Course: What Steps Will Bring Uterine Cancer Out of the Shadows?

We call upon governments and multilateral bodies to explicitly integrate uterine cancer into global and national NCD and women's health efforts. Our position paper outlines a clear roadmap for action:

  1. Increase Political Prioritisation: Make gynaecological cancers a priority in health policy, confront stigma and inequity, and demand accountability in national cancer plans
  2. Strengthen Early Detection Through Awareness, Prevention and Stigma Reduction: Elevate uterine cancer in health campaigns, focus on high-risk groups and foster open dialogue, supported by both governments and communities
  3. Closing the Diagnostic and Care Gap: Bring education on uterine cancer to primary care providers, invest in diagnostic infrastructure, and promote Centres of Excellence.
  4. Accelerating Access to Innovation: Ensure uterine cancer is visible in research agendas and innovation funding, integrate it into the World Health Organization (WHO) Model List of Essential Medicines, update care protocols nationally, and drive equitable access to new therapies.
Read our full position paper

A Shared Vision: What Future Can We Build – Together?

The burden of uterine cancer is immense, but not insurmountable. By working together, we can help transform the future for all women. It's time to break the silence and bring uterine cancer firmly onto the global health agenda. We stand alongside our collaborators to ensure that every woman has access to the care she deserves.

David Brocklehurst Vice President, Global Franchise Head, GYN/GU Cancers

Uterine cancer affects us all — patients, families, clinicians, policymakers. We invite you to join this movement and help forge a future where every woman receives timely, high-quality, and equitable care.

Back to our media articles

You may also like

Oncology
Transforming patient care…in partnership
David Brocklehurst

References

* Australia New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group, Egyptian Gynecological Oncology Society, European Network of Gynaecological Cancer Advocacy Groups, International Gynecologic Cancer Society, HaBait Shel Bar (Israel Women’s Cancer Association), Peaches Womb Cancer Trust, Endometrial Cancer Action Network For African Americans, Society of Gynecologic Oncology and the Foundation for Women’s Cancer.

  1. International Gynecologic Cancer Society. Reducing Disparities in Uterine Cancer: A Global Call to Action. (no date). Available from: http://igcs.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Global-Call-to-Action-Reducing-Disparities-Uterine-Cancer.pdf. Last accessed September 2025.
  2. World Health Organization. Cancer Tomorrow. 2024. Available from: http://gco.iarc.who.int/tomorrow/en/dataviz/trends?multiple_populations=1&cancers=24. Last accessed September 2025.
  3. Crosbie, E.J. et al. Endometrial cancer. Lancet. 2022;399(10333):1412-1428.
  4. World Health Organization. Global Cancer Observatory: Corpus uteri. Available from: http://gco.iarc.who.int/media/globocan/factsheets/cancers/24-corpus-uteri-fact-sheet.pdf. Last accessed September 2025.
  5. The Swedish Institute for Health Economics. Endometrial cancer – Improving care and driving policy change. (2024). Available from: http://ihe.se/app/uploads/2024/09/IHE-REPORT-2024_12_.pdf. Last accessed September 2025.
  6. Yang, L. et al. Time trend of global uterine cancer burden: An age-period-cohort analysis from 1990 to 2019 and predictions in a 25-year period. 2023. BMC Women’s Health. 2023;23:384.
  7. Matrai, C. E. et al. Molecular evaluation of low-grade low-stage endometrial cancer with and without recurrence. International Journal of Gynecological Pathology. 2022;41(3):207-219.  
  8. Cao, S.Y. et al. Recurrence and survival of patients with stage III endometrial cancer after radical surgery followed by adjuvant chemo- or chemoradiotherapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Cancer. 2023;23(1):31.
  9. Johnson J-E, et al. Risk of endometrial cancer in patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome: A meta‑analysis. Oncology Letters. 2023;25(4):168.
  10. Meyer LA, et al. Endometrial cancer and lynch syndrome: Clinical and pathologic considerations. Cancer Control. 2009;16(1):14-22.
  11. Cheewakriangkrai C, et al. Health education interventions to promote early presentation and referral for women with symptoms of endometrial cancer. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2020;3.
  12. BMJ. We need to transform women’s healthcare to tackle “medical misogyny”. BMJ. 2024;387:q2813.
  13. Illah O, et al. A review of the global inequalities in the management of gynaecological cancers. The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist. 2025;27:29-36.
  14. World Health Organization. Strengthening diagnostics capacity. (no date). Available from: http://www.who.int/activities/strengthening-diagnostics-capacity. Last accessed September 2025.
  15. Drake TM, et al. Global inequities in precision medicine and molecular cancer research. Frontiers in Oncology. 2018;8:346.
  16. Pothuri B, et al. Real-world treatment patterns and outcomes by mismatch repair/microsatellite instability (MMR/MSI) status in patients (pts) with advanced endometrial cancer (aEC), 2018-2023. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2024;42(16).
  17. Aslam RW, et al. Follow-up strategies for women with endometrial cancer after primary treatment (Protocol). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2016;10.

Veeva ID: Z4-77399
Date of preparation: September 2025