Myoma or uterine fibroid, a condition where tumors grow inside the uterus or womb, commonly affects women in their reproductive years. And while many are familiar with this concern, myths about myoma treatment without surgery can still confuse many of those living with this condition. Ahead, we’ll debunk four misconceptions about treating myoma.

Uterine Fibroids: What you need to know

Myth #1 – You’ll need cancer treatment for uterine fibroids

Some people still think that having a myoma means they have cancer. You see, myoma is technically a tumor, something that we associate with cancer.

However, uterine fibroid tumors are benign – not cancerous. This means that while myoma can grow, it will not spread, nor will it invade or destroy nearby or distant structures.

In other words, women with myomas do not need cancer treatments.

Myth #2 – Surgically removing the uterus is the only way to treat myoma

It’s true that surgically removing the uterus (hysterectomy) remains the only proven permanent way to prevent myoma. However, it is just one of the ways to manage myoma.

In fact, we can say that this is usually the last resort, since surgically removing the uterus means the woman can no longer bear a child.

Instead of surgically removing a part of or the entire uterus, doctors may recommend any of the following treatment options:

Medications

To shrink the tumor, a doctor may give you medications that block the production of reproductive hormones estrogen and progesterone.

Blocking the production of these sex hormones can stop tumor growth. Likewise, myoma treatment without surgery also involves drugs that ease symptoms such as cramps and heavy bleeding.

MRI-guided ultrasound procedure

Another one of the ways to manage myoma is MRI-guided ultrasound. During this procedure, the patient lies down inside the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. While lying down, the MRI machine produces images that pinpoint the exact location of the myoma. Once the doctor determines the tumor’s exact location, he will direct ultrasound waves to the growth to heat and shrink it.

4 Myoma Treatment Options

Uterine artery embolization

Uterine artery embolization, also called uterine fibroid embolization, is quickly becoming a popular treatment, at least for women who no longer plan to get pregnant.

In this myoma treatment without surgery, the doctor injects an embolic agent into the uterine arteries. The agent cuts the blood supply in the uterus, thereby depriving the tumor of blood. As a result, the tumor shrinks and dies.

Please note that the doctor may not recommend it to you if you plan to conceive. This is because it may damage the blood flow in the uterus and compromise the uterine lining. When the lining is damaged, the embryo may have a hard time attaching to it.

But, according to the US Fibroid Centers, many women successfully get pregnant after uterine fibroid embolization.

Myth #3 – You need to get rid of the tumors

Removing the tumor is not always recommended. In fact, many women develop the condition and do not know about it because they didn’t experience any symptoms.

If you only found out about the tumor through a routine exam and not because you developed symptoms, the doctor may recommend watchful waiting.

Watchful waiting is another myoma “treatment” without surgery. In this strategy, the woman is advised to observe if she will experience symptoms. Likewise, the doctor may schedule tests to see if the growth behaves differently. The moment they see changes, they may recommend appropriate treatment options.

Key Takeaways

Myoma or uterine fibroids are benign tumors that grow in the uterus. And because they are benign, the patient doesn’t need to receive cancer treatments. Likewise, surgically removing the uterus is not the only solution. Myoma treatment without surgery includes medications, MRI-guided ultrasound procedure, and uterine artery embolization.

Likewise, it’s also possible for myoma patients to experience no symptoms and therefore receive no treatment. In those cases, the doctor may recommend watchful waiting, a method of observing for signs and symptoms and undergoing tests to see if the tumor will behave differently.

Learn more about Uterine Fibroids here.