RARE CANCER LEFT PERFORMER SUSCEPTIBLE.

Byline: David R. Baker Daily News Staff Writer

The cancer that contributed to Shari Lewis' death strikes few women and, depending on when it is detected, can be difficult to defeat.

Uterine sarcoma is a rare ailment that is difficult to screen for and has no known causes. If spotted early, it can be stopped with surgery to remove the tumors it creates. But delays can be deadly.

``Most of the time, we find them too late and (the tumors) are too large,'' said Dr. Mercedes Brenneisen, chairwoman of the cancer committee at Glendale Memorial Hospital.

The treatment Lewis underwent for the disease also appears to have played a part in her death. Her publicist, Maggie Begley, said the 64-year-old entertainer died of pneumonia, which overwhelmed her after her body had been weakened by chemotherapy.

Few women ever face this disease. Uterine sarcomas, which strike the connective tissues or membranes of the uterus, account for just 1 percent of all cancers specific to women, according to information from the American Cancer Society. A much more common cancer that hits the lining of the uterus has much higher survival rates.

The only known risk factor for uterine sarcoma is radiation used to treat benign uterine bleeding and that appears linked only to about 10 percent to 25 percent of all cases.

Symptoms typically include an enlarged uterus, bleeding and pain. Pap smears typically don't spot the illness, making it difficult to catch with regular checkups, Brenneisen said.