The News
Uterine fibroids may not require invasive surgery
A study suggests women would spend less time in the hospital, but it doesn't address threats to fertility.
By Alicia Chang The Associated Press
Article Last Updated: 01/24/2007 07:41:02 PM MST

Women who had less invasive treatment for painful uterine fibroids did about as well as those who had surgery, including a hysterectomy, according to a new study that lays out the options for a troubling condition affecting millions of women. Uterine fibroids are common among women of child-bearing age. Nearly 40 percent develop these noncancerous growths in the uterus that often don't cause any symptoms. While the most common treatment is surgery to remove tumors that cause extreme pain, some women choose a gentler procedure called uterine artery embolization.

The Research
Read the research behind this story in the New England Journal of Medicine