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Recent News and Articles on the Keywords: uterine fibroids + uterine fibroids: + fibroids  Related to the article below (Last Update: 8/5/2008)

UAE for fibroids "more cost-effective" than hysterectomy Medicexchange, UK - Uterine artery embolization (UAE) is much more cost-efficient than hysterectomy for the treatment of uterine fibroids, an analysis from the Netherlands has ... Exercise cuts risk of fibroids Toronto Star,  Canada - Jul 29, 2008 Working out an hour a day (including walking time) could cut your risk of getting uterine fibroids by 40 per cent, compared with women who fit in less than ... The You Docs: What makes every month easier for women Seattle Post Intelligencer - Jul 30, 2008 Uterine fibroids are benign tumors (excess tissue) that develop in the wall of your uterus. Even though they're not cancerous, they can be troublemakers. ... WELT ONLINE BioSphere Medical Reports 2008 Second Quarter Financial Results WELT ONLINE, Germany - Jul 23, 2008 Ms. Johnson, who underwent a hysterectomy in 1999 to address uterine fibroids, became a spokesperson for the National Women?s Health Resource Center as part ...BSMD Treating uterine tumors can be done without invasive procedures Aurora Beacon News, IL - Jul 30, 2008 Simply put, uterine fibroids are benign muscular tumors of the uterus. The fibroids can range in size from very small to the size of a grapefruit, ... BioSphere Medical to Present at BMO Capital Markets Focus on ... MarketWatch - Jul 29, 2008 ("BioSphere") - a medical device company that has pioneered the use of bioengineered microspheres to treat uterine fibroids, hypervascularized tumors and ...BSMD Repros Therapeutics Inc. Announces That Initial Findings for ... FOXBusiness - Jul 18, 2008 We are also developing Proellex as a short course pre-surgical treatment for anemia associated with excessive menstrual bleeding related to uterine fibroids ...RPRX Nigerian Tribune That excessive menstrual flow could be uterine fibroid - By Ronke ... Nigerian Tribune, Nigeria - Jul 26, 2008 Approximately, one in 800-1000 babies are born with the disorder. Down syndrome (DS) is the most common cause of mental retardation and malformation in a ... Nigerian Tribune That excessive menstrual flow could be uterine fibroid Nigerian Tribune, Nigeria - Jul 19, 2008 In her words, uterine fibroid is an abnormal growth in the muscle of the uterus (womb), which is not synonymous with cancer, as many might have wrongly ... Best Syndication Fibroid Tumors and the Danger to Fertility Best Syndication, CA - Jul 17, 2008 The uterine segments of the fallopian tubes could be obstructed or distorted by fibroids. When infertile women present with uterine fibroids every effort ...

Uterine Fibroids

Uterine fibroids are tumors that are not cancerous that grow on or in the muscles of the uterus (womb). They are sometimes called myoma, leiomyoma, leiomyomata and fibromyoma. All women are at risk of developing fibroids at some point in their lives. They are the most common tumor of the female reproductive system.

Fibroids can range from the size of a walnut to the size of a cantaloupe or even larger. Doctors measure the size of fibroids in relationship to the size of uterus during pregnancy. A large fibroid tumor, for example, might cause the uterus to become the size of a six- or seven-month pregnancy. Fibroids can appear as a single large tumor or as a cluster of small ones.

There are three basic types of uterine fibroids. They are identified by where they are located in the uterus:

• Subserosal fibroids develop in the outer portion of the uterus and grow outward. These fibroids can be painful if they are large and press on other organs. They usually don't affect a woman's menstrual flow.
• Submucosal fibroids develop just under the lining of the uterine cavity. These are the least common type of fibroid tumor. They often cause very heavy, long menstrual periods.
• Pedunculated uterine fibroids occur when the fibroid grows on a stalk. These can grow into the uterus or on the outside of the uterus.

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A woman may have one or all of these types of fibroids. It is common that if a woman has one fibroid, she has others that have not yet been detected yet.

Some women experience no symptoms. Women sometimes underestimate the impact of their symptoms because they have gotten used to the excessive bleeding, pain and the pressure that fibroids can cause. When there are symptoms, they vary depending on the location and size of the fibroid tumors.

Common symptoms of fibroids include:

• An enlarged abdomen, which may be mistaken for weight gain or pregnancy
• Anemia from heavy menstrual bleeding, which lowers the red blood cell count. This causes a woman to feel constantly tired.
• Heavy menstrual bleeding (sometimes with clots) and long monthly periods
• Pain during sex
• Pain in the back of the legs
• Pelvic pain or pressure
• Pressure on the bladder. This causes a constant feeling of needing to urinate or make it hard to control urination.
• Pressure on the bowel. This can lead to constipation or bloating or both

Fibroid tumors are sensitive to changes in a woman's monthly hormone cycle. As estrogen levels tend to increase before menopause starts, many uterine fibroids start to grow. This may make the symptoms worse. After menopause, estrogen falls dramatically. This causes the fibroids to shrink and the symptoms to diminish. If a woman is taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT), however, she will not experience a shrinking of the fibroids or a lessening of the symptoms.

Several studies have indicated that African-American women, who develop uterine fibroids, develop symptoms faster and with greater severity than other women.

Between two and four women out of every 10 who are 35 years old or older have fibroid tumors. African-American women are more likely to have fibroids than women of other origins to develop uterine fibroids. Some studies suggest that up to eight out of 10 African-American women will eventually develop uterine fibroids.

If you have symptoms of fibroid tumors, you should see your doctor. For women who do not experience symptoms, uterine fibroid tumors may first be discovered at their annual gynecological exam.

The doctor will check the size of uterus during this exam. If it feels enlarged, he or she may order diagnostic tests including:

• An ultrasound of the abdomen or the vagina. An ultrasound bounces sound waves off the inside of the body to create an image of the inside of the body.
  
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Tests to rule out other, more serious conditions that may have similar symptoms such as cancer.
• Tests to see if other conditions that sometimes occur with fibroids are present as well. These conditions include adenomyosis (components normally in the endometrium are within the myometrium) and endometriosis (endometrial tissue is generally found outside of the uterus).

If you are diagnosed with fibroids, your doctor will discuss treatment options with you. The treatment that he or she recommends will depend on a variety of factors including the size of the fibroids, how severe the symptoms are and how much they affect your daily life.

Treatment of fibroid tumors may consist of any or a combination of:

• Watchful waiting. If your fibroids don't cause symptoms, treatment isn't needed. Your doctor may want to check the fibroids at each of your annual gynecological exams to make sure they aren't growing.
• Taking birth control pills, which can help control excessive menstrual bleeding caused by fibroids. However, there are possible side effects, including high blood pressure, blood clots and higher risks of heart or liver disease. Studies suggest that fibroids will come back after treatment ends.
• Taking GnRH agonists, which lower how much estrogen a woman's ovaries produce. This can shrink the fibroids and help control the symptoms. These are prescribed when birth control pills don't control the symptoms of fibroids. However, lowering the amount of estrogen the body produces can also cause hot flashes or mood swings. There may be bone loss if GnRH agonists are used for a long time. Studies suggest that the fibroids will come back after treatment ends.
• Uterus sparing, minimally invasive procedures such as uterine fibroid embolization
• Surgery to remove the fibroids (myomectomy). While this avoids removing the womb, it can be a challenging procedure. Only certain fibroids can be treated this way.
• Surgery to remove the womb (and sometimes the fallopian tubes, ovaries and cervix). This is called a hysterectomy. After this surgery, a woman no longer has periods or is able to conceive a child. If the ovaries are removed, a woman will go through menopause, no matter how old she is.