FIBROIDS

Fibroid tumors are solid tumors made of fibrous tissue, hence the name 'fibroid' tumor. Most often, fibroids occur as multiple tumor masses that grow slowly and often cause no visible symptoms.

Although fibroids are often called tumors, they are almost always benign that is, not cancerous.

Fibroid tumors are found mostly in the uterus of women in their 30's and 40's, although they occasionally develop on other organs which contain smooth muscle cells. Uterine fibroids are the most common, in women of childbearing age, but no one knows exactly what causes them.

The size of fibroids varies immensely among people. Some fibroids are so small that a microscope is required to see them. But some women experience a single large fibroid tumor.

Who gets fibroids?

It has been observed that :

Fibroids mostly grow in women of childbearing age.
Women who are obese or overweight are at a higher risk for fibroids than women who are not overweight.
Women who have given birth are at a lower risk for fibroids.

What are the symptoms of fibroids?

Most fibroids do not cause any visible symptoms, but some women with fibroids may have:

heavy bleeding or painful periods
bleeding between periods
feeling of fullness in the pelvic area (lower abdomen)
urinating often
pain during sex
lower back pain
reproductive problems, such as infertility, more than one miscarriage, or early onset of labor pain during pregnancy

Can fibroids turn into cancer?

Fibroids are mostly benign, or not cancerous, and they rarely turn into cancer. It is found to turn into cancer in less than 0.1 percent of cases.

Diagnosis of Fibroids

Diagnosis of fibroids can be made by your physician during your annual gynaecological exam/test, when your physician feels a mass in your body.

An ultrasound scan is often required to determine the cause of the mass, however some fibroids often appear on sonograms as ovarian tumors and surgery is the only way an accurate diagnosis can be done.

As the fibroid grows larger, some women often experience a swollen abdomen. Larger fibroids may sometimes cause frequent urination or an inability to control your bladder, or in severe cases, a women may find that she is unable to urinate at all. If a fibroid extends towards a woman's back, it may push onto the bowels, causing constipation and backache.

To Diagnose a Fibroid, your physician might conduct the following tests:

ultrasound
magnetic resonance imaging or MRI
x-rays
cat scan or CT

Besides imaging tests, you may also need a surgery to know for sure if you have fibroids. These could include:

laparoscopy - surgery with general anesthesia, where your doctor makes a small cut in the abdomen and places a small tube with a light inside to see any fibroids.
hysteroscopy - surgery in which the doctor inserts a long tube with a camera into the vagina and directs it into the uterus to see any fibroids. It also shows any growths or problems inside the uterus.

Treatment of Fibroids

If you have fibroids, but if it is benign and you do not have any symptoms, you may not need any treatment. But your doctor needs to check during your regular exams to see if they have grown. But if your fibroid tumors are severe and cause certain symptoms, Surgery is often required.

Symptoms that may need a surgery include:

Extremely heavy bleeding during your menstrual cycle, which causes anemia and does not respond to treatment
If you have intolerable pain or discomfort caused by the pressure of the fibroids on another organ
Or when the size and location of the tumors is likely to cause further problems

Surgery for fibroid tumors includes, 'myomectomy' and 'hysterectomy'.