Introduction
Endometrial cancer refers to a type of cancer that affects the endometrium, which is the inner lining of the womb or uterus. Endometrial cancer is one type of cancer that is somewhat different when compared to other types of cancer, as it affects others parts of the body depending on its severity. That means that poor management of this type of cancer may have significant impacts to other parts of the body attributed to the spread of this cancer to different organs. The cancer arises from an abnormal growth of cells within the womb thereby resulting in a situation where some of these cells spread into other parts of the body. Some of the common parts of the body where endometrial cancer may spread within the body include the lungs and liver and causes the body to lose its ability to support some of its bodily functions. Some of the common symptoms associated with endometrial cancer include vaginal bleeding, which is higher when compared to the bleeding during menstrual periods, and pain resulting from urination or sexual intercourse. One key aspect to note about endometrial cancer is that it is common among women who have attained menopause with one of the risk factors being obesity.
Pathophysiology of Endometrial Cancer in the Liver
In the liver, endometrial cancer causes the mutation of the tumor suppressor gene thereby leading to the growth of a tumor in the liver. The main gene that suppresses the occurrence of tumors within the liver is P53 with the occurrence of endometrial cancer resulting in a loss-of-function mutation, otherwise referred to as null mutation. That results in a state where the liver experiences a significant loss of function in the regulation of the PI3k/Akt/mTOR pathway, which is a key biochemical pathway. Thus, this creates a platform for increased cell regeneration within the liver that would result in the occurrence of tumors that may affect its overall functionality.
According to Kinjyo, Kudaka, Ooyama, Inamine, Nagai, and Aoki (2015), the manifestation of endometrial cancer within the liver may lead to a situation where the pathways that promote the activation of p53 may be suppressed or become highly activated. That means that the liver may have two distinct reactions in the event that endometrial cancer may spread to this part of the body, as mutation of the gene within the liver may cause two major outcomes. In the event that the p53 pathway is suppressed, the liver may experience a significant loss of function, as it does not have the capacity to protect itself from endometrioid and serous carcinomas. The endometrioid and serous carcinomas result from the existence of endometrial cancer. The body becomes unable to produce effective data that would highlight the occurrence of cancer within the liver.
On the other hand, when the liver experiences a high level of activation of the p53 pathway, endometrial cancer tends to spread at a faster rate, as the overexpressed p53 helps in spreading the cancer cells into different parts of the liver. In addition, this would also cause other parts of the body to be exposed to higher levels of cancer cells, as the p53 spreads into different parts of the body. These parts may include the lungs and kidneys, which may also experience significant ramifications associated with endometrial cancer. The overproduction of p53 may also result in chromosome instability attributed to a situation where the body finds itself lacking the capacity to balance its hormonal composition. The instability created may affect the capacity of the body to function within the expected standards, as it lacks the capacity of maintain the expected chromosome count.
Altered Consciousness and Hypotension due to Endometrial Cancer
The occurrence of endometrial cancer may cause the patient involved may experience altered levels of consciousness, as well as, hypotension, where the blood pressure drops lower than normal. The altered levels of consciousness result from a situation where the endometrial cancer cells affect the skull causing some of the blood vessels within the skull tend to break and the cancer cells may spread into the skull. Consequently, this results in the breakage of blood vessels within the skull that may impact on one’s conscious levels during given periods. Kinjyo et al (2015) indicates that one of the notable risks associated with endometrial cancer is intracranial hemorrhage, which refers to bleeding within the skull due to rapturing of the blood vessels. In such cases, it becomes hard for the individual or patient involved to control his or her consciousness thereby resulting in altered consciousness levels.
Hypotension results when endometrial cancer creates problems within the endocrine system within the body. The endocrine system is responsible for production of hormones that control different aspects within the body system including growth, regulation of metabolism, and blood pressure. The endocrine system also plays a key role in controlling the blood pressure levels, as it helps in releasing the hormones that control the renin‐angiotensin‐aldosterone system within the kidneys. However, the spread of endometrial cancer may affect the endocrine system, thus, causing significant impacts to the renin‐angiotensin‐aldosterone system causing hypotension. In such situations, the endocrine system experiences significant flaws that affect the production of hormones that helps in regulating the blood pressure. Consequently, this leads to a situation where the blood pressure may reduce to levels that are lower than expected thereby causing hypotension.
References
Kinjyo, Y., Kudaka, W., Ooyama, T., Inamine, M., Nagai, Y., & Aoki, Y. (2015). Ovarian preservation in young women with endometrial cancer of endometrioid histology.Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica, 94(4), 430-434.
