Women's Health

Fibroids are growths of tissue that are usually found in the wall of the uterus, or womb. They are made of a mixture of muscle tissue from the uterus and threadlike fibers of connective tissue. Although they are called tumors, fibroids are not cancerous. Fibroids usually shrink after menopause. New fibroids do not develop before

A fibroid starts as a single muscle cell in the uterus. For reasons that are not known, this cell changes into a fibroid tumor cell and starts to grow and multiply. Heredity may be a factor. It is thought that a muscle cell in the uterus may be “programmed” from birth to develop into a

Fibroids can occur in any woman of reproductive age. African American women are three times as likely as Caucasian women to have fibroids. It is not known how common fibroids are in women of other races and ethnic backgrounds.  

Many women learn they have fibroids when their doctor performs a routine pelvic exam. A uterus that is enlarged or irregular in shape is a sign that a woman may have fibroids. Certain tests help the doctor to be sure of the diagnosis. Ultrasound. During this test, sound waves too high-pitched to be heard travel from

In most women, fibroids do not lead to cancer. Rarely, however, fibroids can turn into a cancer called a leiomyosarcoma. This happens to an estimated 1 in 1,000 women who have fibroids. Some cancerous tumors may develop directly from normal tissue in the uterus. The average age of women with leiomyosarcoma is 55. Warning signs of

Most women with fibroids have no more trouble becoming pregnant than women who do not have fibroids, and their risk of a bad pregnancy outcome is no higher. About 1 in every 15 women with infertility has fibroids, but the fibroids are usually innocent bystanders: They cause only 2% to 3% of cases of infertility.

If fibroids are not causing problems, regular checkups may be the only management they need. This is called watchful waiting. The doctor examines a woman two or three times a year to see if the fibroids are growing and if they are beginning to cause problems. If the doctor cannot feel the woman’s ovaries during a

The treatment offered for fibroids will depend on whether or not the fibroids are causing any problems. If fibroids are not causing problems, they may need no treatment apart from regular medical checkups. This is called watchful waiting. The doctor examines a woman two or three times a year to see if the fibroids are

Several new procedures offer alternatives to hysterectomy or myomectomy, especially for the removal of smaller fibroids. An advantage of these new procedures is that they do not involve abdominal surgery. They may be performed on an outpatient basis, or they may require only an overnight hospital stay. Recovery time is usually quicker, too. However, because

Doctors may prescribe drugs called gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRH agonists) to treat fibroids. Most fibroids shrink by one-third to one-half of their original size after two to three months of treatment with these drugs. Smaller fibroids may cause fewer problems and they are often easier to remove surgically. Women should not take GnRH agonists for more than