What are fibroids? Fibroids are mostly benign (non cancerous) tumors that are common for women, and become more common in the 40’s-50’s. Up to 80% of women will develop fibroids.
Very rarely these fibroids can be cancerous, but only about 1 in 1000. These ones tend to grow very fast! Doctors think that these cancers do not arise from an already-existing fibroid, and your chance of cancer does not increase because you have fibroids. Therefore, it’s important to report symptoms to your provider and get any needed imaging so you can be reassured!
Fibroids grow in or on the uterus. Symptoms can vary depending on the location and size. Some women have no symptoms at all with fibroids, but many women do report at least some symptoms.
Submucosal: grow in the lining of the uterus, and these types can causing bleeding problems.
Intramural: grow in the muscle of the uterus, and these can cause symptoms based on their size and the number of them. Symptoms are commonly reported as heaviness, pressure, pain, frequent urination, etc. This location does not affect bleeding for most women. Subserosal: grow on the outer side of the uterus, in the abdominal cavity. These do not cause bleeding issues. They do however cause the same symptoms as above- heaviness, pressure, pain, frequent urination, etc. And they can make you look pregnant. If you are concerned about fibroids, call us for an appointment! We can evaluate you and order any tests that may be needed! 541-690-1215