Description and Possible Medical Problems
If you’ve entered menopause and you notice any amount of vaginal bleeding, whether light or heavy, you need to see your doctor immediately, since vaginal bleeding in a woman who’s gone through menopause is a serious matter. If you’ve been taking estrogen and/or progesterone and you’re either cutting down or stopping the medication completely, the bleeding might be due to withdrawal from the hormones. If you’re not taking estrogen or progesterone, the bleeding may be due to cancer of the uterus, which is the second most common form of cancer in women but the most common in postmenopausal women. Your risk for cancer is increased if you are taking estrogen without progesterone or are diabetic and/or obese. And if you’ve never had children, your risk also goes up.
If you’re postmenopausal and are experiencing vaginal bleeding, ask yourself the following questions:
1. Is the blood definitely coming from the vagina or from the urinary tract or rectal area? For instance, do I primarily see the blood when urinating or during a bowel movement, or does it also appear at other times?
2. How much blood do I see? Is it just a streak, or is it heavy enough that I have to use a pad or a tampon?
Treatment
Postmenopausal women who are experiencing vaginal bleeding will need to have a complete gynecological exam, including a physical exam, a Pap smear, and a biopsy that’s done with a D and C, or dilation and curettage.
If the initial diagnosis confirms uterine cancer—and there’s no easy way to say this—you will need to have a total abdominal hysterectomy. The uterus and ovaries will be removed; the vagina will remain in place. The total recuperation time in an otherwise healthy woman is three to four weeks. Your gynecological oncologist may also want to treat you with radiation or chemotherapy, if she believes the cancer has spread. If uterine cancer is caught early, it can be cured.
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