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01/14/2011 05:00 AM

Healthy Living: Uterine fibroids

By: Marcie Fraser

Uterine fibroids, most women have them and the chance of them being cancerous are very slim. In today's health report, when fibroids need to be removed.

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Uterine fibroids vary in size, from the size of a pea to a watermelon, they can affect any women at any point of their life.

"If the fibroid is growing wildly quickly, you have to worry there is something deeply inside the fibroid that is not right," said Dr. Naomi Bloomfield.

It's extremely rare for a fibroid to be cancerous, there are three types. The most common is the intramural fibroid where it grows within the wall of the uterus.

"There is subserosal fibroid which grow off the top skin, like lollipops and then there is submucosal fibroid where it grows into the cavity itself," the doctor said.

Sixty seven percent of women over forty have them. The cause is unknown, they can be detected with an ultrasound and symptoms vary.

"Some women have pressure or pain some women feel like they are losing their waist and have an enlarging mass in their belly some women note bleeding patterns are not the cyclic bleeding you'd expect with menstrual period," said Bloomfield.

Most fibroids are not removed, but in some cases, it can interfere with lifestyle.

"If she can't have intercourse because it's in the way or if it's causing her pain," said Bloomfield.

In three percent of women with intramural fibroids, fertility or pregnancy can be effected.

"If you have a fibroid and it is low down in the uterus and it is blocking the birth canal then sometimes women can't have a vaginal delivery and have to have a c-section. Some women can even have a miscarriage if they have a large fibroid," Bloomfield said.

For women entering menopause, there is good news, the decrease in estrogen will actually cause the fibroid to shrink.