Fibroid tumors are groups of abnormal cells that form in the uterus. These tumors, also called fibroids or uterine fibroids, are not cancerous. Many women will have fibroids at some point during their lifespan and often there are no harmful effects from the tumors. According to information from the National Library of Medicine, they are most common in women old enough to bear children; however, they usually do not affect a woman's ability to become pregnant. In cases where fibroid tumors cause symptoms such as reproductive problems or pain in the lower back, treatments do exist.
Medication
According to the Mayo Clinic, medications prescribed for fibroid tumors aim to regulate hormones to alleviate symptoms and, possibly, reduce the size of the fibroids. Examples of drugs that may be used during treatment include gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists, androgens and a progestin-releasing intrauterine device.
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists decrease the amount of the hormones estrogen and progesterone that regulate the menstrual cycle. These drugs may be able to reduce fibroid tumor size.
Androgens, often called male hormones, may also shrink fibroids, but the Mayo Clinic cautions that patients taking androgens, such as testosterone, may experience unwanted side effects such as a deeper voice. A progestin-releasing intrauterine device doesn't affect fibroids, but it may reduce symptoms from fibroids. It must be placed in the uterus by a medical professional.
Surgery
The only method that will completely rid a patient of fibroid tumors is to surgically remove the uterus. Called a hysterectomy, this procedure may be an option for women who are unable to find symptom relief from other methods. The Mayo Clinic cautions that women who have a hysterectomy are unable to have children. Patients may be able to keep their ovaries to prevent onset of menopause.
Women with fibroid tumors who want to still be able to bear children may be able to have another type of surgery called a myomectomy. According to a description of the procedure from the Mayo Clinic, there are several ways it may be done depending on the number, size and location of the fibroids in the uterus. Women who choose to have a myomectomy instead of a hysterectomy may be at risk of a recurrence of fibroid tumors.
Other Treatments
The Mayo Clinic notes that there are some additional procedures that can potentially get rid of fibroids by destroying them inside the uterus instead of surgically removing them.
In a procedure called myolysis, a laser is used to destroy the fibroids and shrink the blood vessels the tumors use to grow. Another procedure called endometrial ablation involves the destruction of the uterine lining. It affects fibroid tumors in the lining but not elsewhere in the uterus.
A third procedure, known as uterine artery embolization, may reduce fibroid tumor size and alleviate symptoms. Although its technique is different from the one used in myolysis, uterine artery embolization also causes the vessels supplying blood to fibroid tumors to shrink.
