``Sometimes I wish I could have seen my child's face.''



At the age of 29, the woman was diagnosed with endometrial cancer and underwent a total hysterectomy.



Uterine cancer, which is on the rise, is something even younger generations are faced with. He agreed to an interview and wanted people of his generation to know more about him.



(Network Reporting Department Reporter Shie Kanazawa)

I thought, “It can’t be helped.”

About eight years ago, something strange happened to Manami Hidano in Niigata City.



Blood on my underwear even though it's not my menstrual cycle.


I started having irregular bleeding.



However, since she had always had irregular periods, she said she did not worry about it.



I was 28 years old at the time.


It was a time when she was starting to be able to take on more responsibility at the apparel company she worked for, and was starting to enjoy her work.

Hidano Manami

``I was busy with work, and I thought it wasn't a big deal since there was just a little bit of blood, but I didn't feel any pain, so I thought, ``It's nothing.'' I didn't know about endometrial cancer in the first place. , it never occurred to me that I would get cancer.''

``You should go to the hospital.''



Shortly after I noticed something strange, I went to a nearby clinic at the recommendation of a colleague.



Then I was told that I had a polyp in my uterus.


She was under observation, but her symptoms gradually worsened.



During your period, you may produce a large amount of menstrual blood, and the toilet may be full of blood.


The abdominal pain and nausea became so severe that he was finally taken to the hospital by ambulance.

Hidano


: ``I crawled on my hands and knees to go to the toilet and threw up, and I was bleeding so much that my eyes started to sting from anemia.I was in a really bad state.At that point, I was so desperate that I couldn't help myself. There's nothing I can do, so I asked my family to call an ambulance."

“Why me?”

After visiting several hospitals, she was told that her disease was ``uterine cancer.''


For Mr. Hidano, the name of the disease was unfamiliar.



It's been a year since I first had abnormal bleeding.



Ms. Hidano will undergo surgery to remove her uterus and ovaries.

Diagram drawn by the doctor in charge

After the surgery, the doctor explains the symptoms to Hidano while drawing a diagram of the uterus.



``The inside of my uterus was completely filled with cancer.''



The diagnosis was ``Stage 4.''

Hidano


: "Stage 4 is quite a powerful word, isn't it? At that moment, I remember thinking to myself, ``Oh, it's cancer,'' and crying a lot. At some point, I thought, ``It's going to be okay.'' I kept thinking things like that, and I thought the teacher would say, ``It wasn't a big deal,'' but surprisingly, it was really bad, and he said, ``Why me?''

Uterine cancer is on the rise

Uterine cancer is divided into two types.

For ``uterine cramps'' that occur in the uterine groin, which is the lower part of the uterus, the Japanese government recommends a checkup once every two years and vaccination for prevention.



On the other hand, there is no established specific prevention method for uterine cancer, which occurs in the upper part of the uterus, and there are no screening guidelines set by the government.



According to statistics from the National Cancer Center, the number of patients with uterine cancer is on the decline, but the number of patients with uterine cancer is on the rise.

"Uterine cancer" causes, symptoms, and treatment...

NHK Health Channel

Professor Koichi Terauchi of Tokyo Medical and Dental University points out that changes in lifestyle are behind this phenomenon.

Professor Koichi Terauchi, Tokyo Medical and Dental University

``Female hormones are often the cause, and in these cases, it is known to be associated with an increase in lifestyle-related diseases such as obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes due to the westernization of lifestyles.



``The endometrial lining of the uterus repeatedly proliferates and is removed with the menstrual cycle, but this continues for decades unless pregnancy and childbirth occur.'

'

Therefore, I think that the declining birthrate may also be associated with an increase in uterine cancer."

“I wanted to see the child’s face.”

Endometrial cancer for which the standard treatment is total hysterectomy.



The number of patients increases from the age of 40 onwards, and it is said that people in their 50s and 60s are most likely to develop the disease.



On the other hand, younger generations are also affected, with 735 people in their 20s and 30s suffering from the disease in 2019.



Ms. Hidano had metastasized to areas other than her uterus, so she had no choice but to have it completely removed.



After that, I also received anti-cancer treatment.



Now that she is feeling better and has more leeway in her life, she is thinking about her children.

Hidano Manami

Hidano


: ``At that time, even though I was told that I would remove my uterus and ovaries, I think I was more desperate for my own life than for my child.Now I wonder, ``Would you like to see my child's face?'' It's a bit difficult because I have strong feelings like 'I'm tired', so I



try not to look at pregnant women as much as possible because it's quite painful to see pregnant women.Of course I have those negative feelings, but I've already changed my life. Because I can’t.”

If detected early, some cases can be preserved until delivery.

According to Professor Terauchi, endometrial cancer ultimately requires complete removal of the uterus, but patients who have a strong desire to become pregnant due to female hormones need to be diagnosed early, and how much the cancer has penetrated into the muscles. It is said that in some cases, if certain conditions are met, it may be possible to survive pregnancy and childbirth with hormone therapy.



That's why it's important to get examined early for endometrial cancer, which often has symptoms.

Professor Terauchi


: ``Nowadays, the age of childbearing is getting older, and the number of women who have not yet given birth when they are discovered is increasing, making the issue of whether or not it is possible to preserve the uterus' fertility (the ability to bear a child) to be important. There is also data that shows that 90% of body cancers have bleeding that is different from menstruation.It is known that irregular menstruation can lead to subsequent uterine cancer in young women, so You need to see a gynecologist as soon as possible."

“I want the younger generation to know”

I want young people to know about uterine cancer.



Mr. Hidano has been posting about his fight against the disease on his blog.



What kind of wig do you use after your hair falls out due to chemotherapy?


What helped you during your hospitalization?



It contains detailed information that was not available to those concerned when they were diagnosed with endometrial cancer and that they would like to know.



Mr. Hidano has been sharing his experiences on SNS and YouTube.



A community of cancer patients is also emerging.

YouTube streaming situation

Hidano


: ``I want to spread the message that even the younger generation can get uterine cancer, and I want young girls to see it.When I notice something unusual due to irregular bleeding, I think it might be some kind of disease.'' I feel that if I had visited a gynecologist and received a proper diagnosis, I might have been able to keep my uterus and have a child.If you feel unwell, you should go to the doctor immediately. is"

There is a chance that uterine cancer can be detected early.


And uterine cancer patients are not alone.



Mr. Hidano will continue to send out messages today.

Looking for experiences with uterine cancer


Click here to share your experiences with

uterine cancer, which even the younger generation faces.

Broadcast on April 8th (Monday) NewSoon, April 9th ​​(Tuesday) on Metropolitan Network