[Epidemiology and risk factors for cancer of the uterus].

Abstract

Cancers of the uterus correspond to cervical cancers and uterine corpus cancers. Cervical cancer is common among young women, especially in immunocompromised populations. Its carcinogenesis is induced by the human papilloma virus (HPV). All factors promoting the HPV contamination and/or limiting the clearance of HPV or promoting its progression are risk factors for cervical cancer: sex at an early age, multiple sexual partners, multiparty, smoking, hormonal contraceptives, immunosuppression or certain infections. Cancers of the uterine corpus, substantially represented by endometrial cancers, represent the fourth leading cause of cancer in women in France. Risk factors are related to hyperestrogenism with early age of menarche and late menopause, obesity, diabetes, inadequate hormone-replacement therapy for menopause. Endometrial cancers fall in the scope of familial cancers making evoke a Lynch syndrome/HNPCC.