What Are Uterine Fibroids?
Uterine fibroids (UF), also known as uterine leiomyomata, are the most common non-cancerous tumors in women of childbearing age. The tumors arise from muscle cells and other tissues within the wall of the uterus. Fibroids can occur as individual tumors or as clusters of tumors of varying sizes. Learn more about the various treatment options available to treat uterine fibroids.
- Subserosal Fibroids
These fibroids develop in the outer portion of the uterus and continue to grow outward. - Intramural Fibroids
The most common type of fibroid, which develops within the uterine wall and expands making the uterus feel larger than normal (which may cause "bulk symptoms"). - Submucosal Fibroids
These fibroids develop just under the lining of the uterine cavity. These are the fibroids that have the most effect on heavy menstrual bleeding and the ones that can cause problems with infertility and miscarriage. - Pedunculated Fibroids
Fibroids that grow on a small stalk which connects them to the inner or outer wall of the uterus.
Until recently, treatment for symptomatic uterine fibroids was invasive or minimally invasive surgery, while drug therapy provided only short-term symptom relief or required some form of invasive surgery. As a result many patients suffer with symptoms, taking a wait-and-see approach.
In October 2004, the U.S. Food and Drug Adminstration (FDA) approved ExAblate® 2000, which uses Magnetic Resonance guided Focused Ultrasound to treat symptomatic uterine fibroids, offering patients an important new treatment option. The FDA expedited approval of the ExAblate 2000 system because it “offers significant advantages over existing treatments for uterine fibroids,” according to the agency.
Who Gets Uterine Fibroids?
According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, at least 25 percent of women suffer from uterine fibroids. As many as 77 percent of women may actually have the condition, but may be unaware of it because they exhibit few or no symptoms. Although the cause of uterine fibroids is still unknown, several factors have been found to increase or decrease the risk of developing them:
- African-American women have a three to five times greater risk for developing uterine fibroids than Caucasian women.
- Women who are obese or overweight have a slightly higher risk for developing uterine fibroids than women of normal weight.
- Women who have given birth have a lower risk of developing uterine fibroids than women who have not.
What are the Symptoms of Uterine Fibroids?
- Heavy bleeding or painful periods
- Frequent urination (results from a fibroid pressing on the bladder)
- Bleeding between periods
- Pain during sex
- Feeling "full" in the lower abdomen
- Lower back pain
How Are Uterine Fibroids Treated?
The choice of treatment depends on several factors, including degree and frequency of symptoms, fertility considerations, fibroid size, patient age and a patient’s willingness to undergo invasive procedures. Upon detection of uterine fibroids, if symptoms are not severe, women often are counseled to take a watchful waiting approach to see if symptoms worsen. Pain medication (over-the-counter or prescription) may be sufficient to treat intermittent pain or mild symptoms. For women with more severe symptoms, the goal of therapy has been to remove or reduce the size of the tumor(s). Learn more about the various treatment options available to treat uterine fibroids.
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