Category Archives: Recent Fibroid Research

Dr. Parker will post summaries of recent fibroid research every week and will comment about the significance of the research and how it applies to women with fibroids. Feel free to add your comments or thoughts.

NOTE: Please click on the links below to read the full post.

Hysterectomy Improves Sexual Response? Addressing a Crucial Omission in the Literature

January 24, 2012 – 8:30 am

Journal: The Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology, Volume 18, Pages 288-295, May 2011 Authors: Barry R. Komisaruk, Eleni Frangos, Beverly Whipple Study from: University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey Problem: The prevailing view in the medical literature is that hysterectomy improves the quality of life. This is based on claims that hysterectomy relieves [...]

Using MRI to Determine Surgical Treatment Options for Women with Fibroids

January 10, 2012 – 8:37 am

The utility of MRI for the surgical treatment of women with uterine fibroid tumors Journal: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (in press, available now on-line for subscribers) Authors: William Parker From: UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA. Problem: Fibroids can usually be diagnosed by pelvic examination and ultrasound, but neither gives us exact [...]

By admin | Tagged fibroid treatment options, fibroids, fibroids and pelvic exam, hysterectomy, magnetic resonance imaging, minimally invasive treatment options for fibroids, MRI, no hysterectomy, ultrasound | Comments (0)

How do Fibroids Cause Infertility and Heavy Menstrual Bleeding?

January 3, 2012 – 8:32 am

Leiomyoma simultaneously impair endometrial BMP-2-mediated decidualization and anticoagulant expression through secretion of TGF-β3. Journal: Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2011;96:412-21. Authors: Sinclair DC, Mastroyannis A, Taylor HS. Study from: Yale University School of Medicine Problem: Women with submucous fibroids have decreased fertility, increased miscarriage rates, and heavy menstrual bleeding. Why this happens has not [...]

By Bill Parker, MD | Tagged decreased fertility, fibroids and fertility, fibroids and miscarriage, fibroids and pregnancy, Heavy menstrual bleeding, molecular biology, submucosal fibroid | Comments (1)

Predicting Fibroid Growth: Two Studies

October 24, 2011 – 8:35 am

This is the first study to accurately track fibroid growth, both in different women and different fibroids in the same woman. I (and other gynecologists) have been telling women for 30 years that fibroids do not get smaller until after menopause – this study proves that idea wrong. I have also been telling women that fibroid growth is unpredictable, some fibroids grow slowly, others fast and others go through growth spurts and then slow down.

By Bill Parker, MD | Tagged black women, excess estrogen, fibroid growth, fibroid growth rate, fibroids, fibroids and menopause, fibroids getting smaller, hysterectomy for fibroids, MRI, shrinking fibroids, white women | Comments (2)

Randomised comparison of uterine artery embolisation (UAE) with surgical treatment in patients with symptomatic uterine fibroids (REST trial): 5-year results.

September 12, 2011 – 8:30 am

Authors: Moss J, Cooper K, Khaund A, Murray L, Murray G, Wu O, Craig L, Lumsden M. Journal: British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2011;118:936–944. Study From: North Glasgow University Hospitals, Glasgow, UK Problem: Women with uterine fibroids now have a number of treatment options available. Very few studies have compared the results of treatment [...]

By Bill Parker, MD | Tagged deciding between uterine artery embolization and surgery for fibroids, differences between UAE and surgery for fibroids, fibroid study, fibroid treatment, symptomatic uterine fibroids, treatment for fibroids, UAE, uterine artery embolization | Comments (0)

Fibroids within the Uterine Wall (intramural) Do Not Decrease Fertility

June 16, 2011 – 11:12 pm

Title: Fibroids not encroaching the endometrial cavity and IVF success rate: a prospective study. Journal: Human Reproduction. 2011;26:834-9. Authors: Somigliana E, De Benedictis S, Vercellini P, Nicolosi AE, Benaglia L, Scarduelli C, Ragni G, Fedele L. Study from: Department of Obset/Gynecol-Fondazione Cà Granda, Milano, Italy. Problem: Other studies show that fibroids that bulge into the [...]

By Bill Parker, MD | Tagged decreased fertility, fibroid surgery and fertility, fibroids and fertility, healthy delivery, in vitro fertilization, intramural fibroids, IVF, pregnancy, surgery and fertility, uterine wall | Comments (1)

The effect of myomectomy on health-related quality of life of women with fibroids

January 3, 2011 – 6:15 pm

Despite 50 years of myomectomy surgery, this is the first study to carefully evaluate whether women actually feel better as a result of having a myomectomy. So, now we have studies of women following treatment with UAE, myomectomy and hysterectomy that show improvement in quality-of-life. As I said on an earlier post, this leaves the decision about which treatment to have up to each woman, since these three treatments all help. And, since I perform mostly myomectomy surgery, this study validates what my patients have been telling me for years – they feel great after myomectomy.

By Bill Parker, MD | Tagged feeling better after myomectomy, improvement in health following myomectomy, improvement in pain following myomectomy, mental health after myomectomy, quality-of-life following fibroid treatments, quality-of-life following myomectomy | Comments (0)

The Extra Cost of Robotic Surgery

December 6, 2010 – 8:30 am

Cost comparison among robotic, laparoscopic, and open hysterectomy for endometrial cancer. Journal: Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2010;116:685-93. Authors: Barnett JC, Judd JP, Wu JM, Scales CD Jr, Myers ER, Havrilesky LJ. Study from: Duke University, Durham, North Carolina Problem: Robotic surgery has recently become popular, although the costs of robotic surgery are thought to be significantly [...]

By Bill Parker, MD | Tagged abdominal and robotic hysterectomy, comparing the costs of laparoscopic, cost of robotic surgery, higher costs of robotic hysterectomy, higher costs of robotic surgery, robotic hysterectomy, robotic myomectomy, robotic surgery, surgical costs | Comments (2)

New Medication for Heavy Menstrual Bleeding

November 29, 2010 – 8:30 am

Oral tranexamic acid treatment was well tolerated and significantly improved both menstrual blood loss and health-related quality of life in women with heavy menstrual bleeding.

By Bill Parker, MD | Tagged drugs, Heavy menstrual bleeding, Lysteda, medication, menstrual blood loss, oral medication, pharmaceuticals, tranexamic acid | Comments (2)

Outcomes from fibroid (leiomyoma) therapies: comparison with normal controls.

November 22, 2010 – 8:30 am

Journal: Obstetetrics and Gynecology. 2010 Sep;116(3):641-52. Authors: Spies JB, Bradley LD, Guido R, Maxwell GL, Levine BA, Coyne K. Study from: Georgetown University Hospital Department of Radiology, Washington, DC Problem: Despite the very common occurrence of fibroids, very few studies have evaluated the severity of symptoms caused by uterine fibroids, their effect on health-related quality-of-life, [...]

By Bill Parker, MD | Tagged fibroid symptoms, fibroid symptoms after treatment, hysterectomy, myomectomy, qualty of life, symptom relief, UAE, uterine artery embolization | Comments (6)

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