10 Things to know about uterine fibroids
Uterine fibroid is a very common benign tumor in women. Update on the disease with Professor Hervé Fernandez, the Kremlin Bicetre gynecologist.
1- WHAT ARE UTERINE FIBROIDS?
These are benign tumors that can develop in various parts of the uterine wall, and sometimes outside of the uterine body.
2 – IS THIS A COMMON DISEASE?
50% of Caucasian women and 80% of African women will have at least one fibroid in their lives. And often several.
3 – IS THIS THE FIRST SIGN OF CANCER?
Absolutely not. These are non-cancerous tumors.
4 – HOW DOES ONE DETECT THEM?
Uterine fibroids are detected on ultrasound. Either because their presence is suspected or because we try something completely different and we fall over “by chance”.
5 – SHOULD WE ALWAYS MONITOR?
No. In 70% of cases, uterine fibroids are asymptomatic and do not require monitoring.
6 – AND WHEN THERE ARE SYMPTOMS?
Depending on their location and size, fibroids can cause pain and heavy bleeding during menstruation. It also happens that they are causing a compression of the bladder or rectum. Support by a specialist is required from the time when the quality of life of the patient is impaired.
7 – DOES THE RISK OF BEING INFERTILE INCREASE?
In very rare cases fertility may be affected, but most of the time there is no link between uterine fibroids and infertility.
8 – WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE TREATMENTS?
Until 3 years ago, there was no effective drug treatment. They were content to limit the symptoms with painkillers. It has also given progesterone without success because if it can limit bleeding, the fibroids grow. Today, there is a drug that acts on the progesterone receptor. Basically, this is definitely a key that locks the receptor and causes the death of the fibroid. A study of 1,500 European women showed that a 3-month treatment significantly reduced the need for surgery.
9 – IN WHAT CASES IS SURGERY RECOMMENDED?
This is the only option in cases of heavy or regular bleeding and pain affecting the quality of life and that are not sufficiently “content” by the drugs. Some operations can be performed on an outpatient, other surgeries are heavier and require hospitalization. It all depends on the location of the (or) tumor (s) and its (their) volume (s). They can sometimes weigh several kilos and compress organs.
10 – IS hysterectomy COMMON?
Most women have multiple fibroids that can be removed by removing them one by one (polymyoméctomie) or with removal of the uterus (hysterectomy). If a woman has become pregnant, it is generally possible to preserve the uterus, although hysterectomy may in some cases be a less cumbersome procedure.
Maureen Diament
