Fibroids
Fibroids are muscular or fibroid tissue tumors, typically developing in the uterus wall. These are usually benign, which means that they are typically harmless. However, one of every 1000 women was admitted to the hospital for fibroid surgery (which some people decide to take, because of the discomfort of having a tumor in their uterus) have leiomyosarcoma, which is extremely rare malignant tumor in the uterus.Why do certain women develop uterine fibroids? Some researchers think it's hereditary, or development of vulnerability to hormone stimulation. Uterine fibroids are very common---one in four women over the age of 35, have fibroid tumors. Which for most women, the fibroids are harmless, sometimes they can be pretty severe.
Many women think that fibroids are a type of cancer because their name involved the word "tumor". While the name does describe the fibroid correctly --- it is a tumor, uterine fibroids are non-cancerous and don't have cancer cells.
Another frequently asked question is whether or not uterine fibroids can lead to cancer. Normally they do not, and they don't increase the chances of developing cancer. However, there is a chance of getting malignant tumors, or leiomyosarcoma, as mentioned above. How one knows if they have cancer is due to two very important symptoms: the rapid growth of fibroids or the uterus itself; and post-menopausal vaginal bleeding, meaning bleeding/spotting even though the individual has gone through menopause. However, it's still quite fuzzy because research has not yet proven that rapid fibroid growth even means something like cancer. BUT in post-menopausal women, if they are not taking estrogen replacement therapy, fibroids are still a cause of concern. Tests to detect cancerous uterine fibroids are: pelvic examinations, biopsies, and MRI/LDH test. The best treatment option for cancerous fibroids tumors is a hysterectomy.
