First large study shows high efficacy rate for minimally invasive treatment.

2003 FEB 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Results of the largest multicenter prospective uterine fibroid embolization study of 555 Canadian women shows a high clinical success rate with a low complication rate and rapid recovery as reported in Fertility and Sterility, the journal of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

Uterine fibroid embolization (UFE), also referred to as uterine artery embolization, is a minimally invasive interventional radiology treatment that cuts off the blood supply to the fibroids, causing them to shrink. The study showed a high degree of symptom improvement, 83%, a high degree of patient satisfaction, 91%, and a low rate of major complication, less than 2%. These results are similar to and confirm the results of several earlier, large, single-center studies in Britain and the United States.

"This multicenter study involving 8 Canadian Ontario university and community hospitals confirms that uterine fibroid embolization is a safe and effective treatment for fibroids. It is significant because of its size and because it shows a high rate of efficacy for a relatively new procedure, even when performed widely in multiple hospitals by a variety of interventional radiologists," said Gaylene Pron, PhD, epidemiologist and primary author of the Canadian study known as the Ontario UFE Trial.

"The study showed that uterine fibroid embolization was effective for multiple fibroids, large fibroids, and for women with an enlarged uterus," said Pron. "Significant improvements in heavy menstrual bleeding occurred in most women, even those with large uteri and minimal initial volume reductions."

Uterine fibroids are one of the most common medical conditions experienced by women ages 35-50. These benign tumors can cause prolonged, heavy menstrual bleeding that can lead to anemia, disabling pelvic pain and pressure, urinary frequency, pain during intercourse, and an abnormally large uterus resembling pregnancy. Twenty to 40% of American women 35 and older, and nearly 50% of African American women, have uterine fibroids of a significant size. They are the most frequent indication for hysterectomy in premenopausal women and, therefore, a major public health issue. Of the 600,000 hysterectomies performed annually in the United States, and of the 50,000 performed annually in Canada, 1-third of these are due to fibroids.

"Despite experiencing severe symptoms that had a heavy impact on their lives, women with uterine fibroids continued to seek alternatives to hysterectomy over extended periods of time. In general, women would prefer to have a benign disease such as uterine fibroids treated as conservatively as possible. Uterine fibroid embolization is giving women a nonsurgical choice that preserves their uterus," said Pron.

Most of these women work and the recovery time for open hysterectomy, on average 6 weeks, would be burdensome for them. These ...