Uterine cancer is increasing, but most women have never heard of it

Simone Crerar died from a rare type of uterine cancer last year. (Supplied: Crerar family)

Uterine cancer is increasing in Australia, with the incidence doubling over the past 25 years.

But the condition also has a poor public profile, with up to nine in 10 women having no knowledge of the disease.

Up to 60 per cent of cases of uterine cancer in Australia are potentially preventable with greater public awareness, prompt attention to symptoms and better management of the disease's main risk factors.

Within nine short weeks, 56-year-old Simone Crerar went from complaining about abdominal pain, to dying in her sleep.

It was a sharp decline her brother Scott Crerar still struggles to come to terms with.

He said his little sister was misdiagnosed multiple times in the months leading up to her death, with her symptoms being repeatedly missed.

Towards the end of her life, Ms Crerar's stomach visibly swelled, she had no energy and was barely eating.

"It's just a bit mind-boggling that [Ms Crerar's case] wasn't escalated," he said.

Simone Crerar, pictured with brothers Stephen and Scott Crerar, was a much-loved sister and loyal friend. (Supplied: Crerar family)

A post-mortem examination found Ms Crerar had metastatic uterine leiomyosarcoma, a rare and highly aggressive type of uterine cancer which had already spread to her liver.

A growing number of Australian women are being diagnosed with uterine cancer.

It's the fastest-rising women’s cancer in Australia, with the incidence doubling over the past 25 years.

But it's also a disease without a public profile, with about nine in 10 women not knowing uterine cancer exists, let alone about the warning signs and risk factors.

Knowing the risk factors is important because experts say many cases of uterine cancer are preventable.

The early warning signs for uterine cancer include abnormal vaginal bleeding, unexplained weight loss, abdominal pain and bowel movement changes.

In Australia, about 3,400 women a year are diagnosed with the disease.

Up to 95 per cent of cases are endometrial cancer, in the lining of the uterus, but some rare cases start in the muscle walls.

The most common symptom of uterine cancer is unusual vaginal bleeding. (Supplied: ANZGOG)

Most women who get it, like Ms Crerar, are over 50, but there's an increasing number of younger women being diagnosed, with rates rising fastest in women aged 25–44.

Anthony Richards, gynaecological oncologist at Joan Kirner Women's and Children's Hospital in Melbourne, said two of the key drivers behind these growing rates were obesity and diabetes