Nebraska women rank among the highest in the nation for deaths related to endometrial cancer.
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) — An Omaha woman diagnosed with endometrial cancer just days before her 43rd birthday is now working with her oncologist to raise awareness about a disease she says many women feel too embarrassed to talk about.
Amy Nissen said her first symptom appeared in March 2024 — abnormal vaginal bleeding.
“It was the heaviest vaginal bleeding I’d ever had in my entire life,” Nissen said. “I could never get ahead of it. I could never get it under control. I had been having my period for 30-some years and never had to take a change of clothes to work, and now I was having to take a change of clothes.”
Symptoms often go unreported
Nissen said she searched online for answers but found that most information about endometrial cancer focused on post-menopausal women over 60, which made her dismiss the possibility that it could affect her.
“It was one of those things that I was so embarrassed about it,” she said. “I didn’t really bring it up to anybody.”
Eventually, the bleeding forced her to go to the emergency room, where doctors soon delivered a diagnosis she struggled to understand — endometrial cancer.
“I wasn’t really grasping it yet,” Nissen said. “It was still such a shock.”
Rates rising, especially among younger women
Endometrial cancer rates are rising nationwide. According to pharmaceutical company GSK, more than 160 women are diagnosed every day. The company estimates that 62,000 cases were diagnosed and 12,500 deaths resulted from the disease in 2025, making it the most common type of gynecologic cancer in the United States.
Nebraska women rank in the upper 90th percentile for deaths tied to the disease.
Dr. Lindsey McAlarnen, a gynecologic oncologist at Nebraska Medicine, said she is seeing more women in their 20s, 30s and 40s diagnosed with the condition. She said increasing obesity rates are a major contributing factor.
“We see that obesity in general is a risk factor for uterine cancer, but it’s also a risk factor for uterine cancer coming back or recurrence,” McAlarnen said. “Really living a healthy lifestyle and being at a healthy weight is beneficial for all of our patients.”
When to see a doctor
McAlarnen said abnormal bleeding is the most important warning sign women should not ignore.
“Either heavy bleeding or in somebody who has gone through menopause and stopped having periods, any type of bleeding that shows up after they’ve had no bleeding for a year, that’s a reason to see your doctor or provider, because it could be a cancer growing in the lining of the uterus,” she said.
Other symptoms can include unusual discharge and persistent pelvic pain.
McAlarnen said survival rates exceed 95% when the cancer is detected at stage one, but the chances drop sharply if the disease spreads.
“I’ve seen too many older women who thought that getting a period again was normal or who thought that having a little bit of spotting with wiping wasn’t something to worry about,” she said. “And then if you leave it untreated for even a year, cancer can spread and that can really impact your chances of survival.”
Treatment and recovery
Nissen said her cancer was detected early, and she did not require chemotherapy.
“I opted for a total hysterectomy,” Nissen said. “I know that’s not the choice for all women. It was what was right for me and where I was in life.”
The surgery is typically performed using minimally invasive robotic techniques and takes only a few hours, with many patients able to return home the same day.
Nissen said she is doing well after the procedure and continues regular follow-up visits for monitoring.
“Don’t be embarrassed” campaign
Nissen and McAlarnen are now partnering in GSK’s “Don’t Be Embarrassed” campaign to encourage women to talk openly with their doctors about symptoms.
“The more conversations we can have, the more it chips away at that stigma,” Nissen said. “Somebody maybe if they’re hearing my story will go, hey, I haven’t been talking about it but I have something really similar to this going on. I should go get that checked out. Because it can change your life and it could even save your life if you go to your doctor.”
“Don’t be afraid to come in and start that conversation,” McAlarnen said.
McAlarnen also warned women not to take hormones, including pills or topical products, without consulting a doctor, noting that excess hormone use can increase the risk of endometrial cancer.
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