What Are the Treatments for Fibroid Tumors?

Fibroids are non-cancerous tumors that grow in a woman's uterus, causing heavy menstrual bleeding and pelvic pain. According to the National Women's Health Information Center, 20 to 80 percent of women in the United States develop fibroids before age 50. A number of treatment options exist to either shrink or remove fibroids.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of fibroid tumors include painful menstrual periods and heavy bleeding. In some cases, bleeding is heavy enough to cause anemia, a condition characterized by a decrease in healthy red blood cells. Other symptoms include frequent urination, feeling of fullness or pressure in the lower abdomen, lower back pain, pain during sex and complications during pregnancy or labor.

Observation

• If you have fibroids but aren't experiencing any bothersome symptoms, your doctor may recommend that you monitor the situation and only begin treatment if the fibroids cause symptoms. During menopause, the tumors usually shrink as hormone levels decline, and you may find this process to be a natural solution to the problem.

Intrauterine Devices (IUD)

• Intrauterine devices (IUDs) that release the hormone progestin can help slow heavy bleeding and reduce pain. IUDs are small, t-shaped devices that are inserted into the uterus to prevent pregnancy. While the hormones released by the IUD may make you feel better, they can't shrink fibroids or cause them to disappear.

Hormonal Medications

• Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa) work by causing a drop in progesterone and estrogen levels. When this drop occurs, you stop having menstrual periods and fibroids decrease in size, reducing symptoms. Androgen, a male hormone, can be helpful in reducing the size of the uterus, shrinking fibroids, improving anemia and stopping menstruation. If heavy bleeding is a problem, birth control pills containing the hormone progestin can help reduce bleeding, although the pills don't cause the fibroids to shrink.

Medical Procedures

• Small particles known as embolic agents are injected into the uterus to cut off blood flow to the fibroids in uterine artery embolization. Uterine artery embolization is recommended if fibroids are causing significant pain or heavy bleeding, or are pressing on the rectum or bladder. Endometrial ablation is used to destroy the lining of the uterus with a specially-heated instrument or electric current. The procedure either reduces the menstrual flow or ends menstruation entirely. Both procedures are recommended for women who are sure that they don't want any more children, as these methods make it impossible for a woman to maintain a pregnancy.

Surgical Procedures

• Myolysis is a laparascopic procedure that uses a laser, electric current or liquid nitrogen to destroy fibroids and shrink the blood vessels nourishing the tumors. The procedure is performed using a thin, flexible tube that is passed through a small incision made in the abdomen. Fibroids can be removed during a myomectomy. This procedure can be performed as an open surgical procedure or as an laparascopic procedure, depending on the size and location of the fibroids. Your doctor may recommend that you take GnRHa drugs prior to surgery in order to shrink the fibroids and make them easier to remove. If you elect to have a hysterectomy, your uterus will be removed, eliminating the fibroids entirely.