Widely admired journalist and PBS NewsHour anchor Gwen Ifill died this week at age 61. PBS said Ifill had been diagnosed less than a year ago, and “had been battling endometrial cancer while covering this year’s presidential election.”
Endometrial cancer begins in the uterus and will spread to the cervix before moving to other parts of the body. It is often caught early because its symptoms, which include irregular vaginal bleeding, are easier to detect than symptoms of many other cancer types, according to the Mayo Clinic. When caught early enough, treatments include removal of the uterus, which rids the body of the cancer, curing it. When endometrial cancer is discovered later, treatments are mainly radiation and chemotherapy, much like other cancers. Endometrial cancer affects postmenopausal women disproportionately. Symptoms are listed here — see your doctor immediately if you experience any of these.