Most women will develop uterine fibroids by the age of 50, but more than half of U.S. women (57 percent) do not think they are at risk, according to a survey conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of the Society of Interventional Radiology.
While some women may not experience symptoms, for others, the physical effects and bleeding that can result from the condition can be debilitating. Women with fibroids often face pelvic pain, diminished sex life and declining energy levels. These experiences go beyond discomfort and result in many women feeling a sense of hopelessness and a perception that their uterine fibroids are controlling their lives.
Women with fibroids may be embarrassed by the condition and unwilling to share their experiences with others. In fact, despite the high prevalence of the condition, results of the Harris poll show that more than one-third of women (37 percent) have not personally been diagnosed, nor do they know anyone who has been diagnosed with uterine fibroids. The silence around the condition contributes to the lack of knowledge and the limited awareness of treatments, with one in five women in the United States (20 percent) believing that the only treatment is hysterectomy, the complete removal of the uterus.
Some women might feel comfortable with that option, but others, especially those who want to preserve their uterus, may decide to live with their symptoms instead of pursuing treatment because they are unaware a minimally invasive treatment exists—uterine fibroid embolization, or UFE. UFE is a non-surgical treatment, performed by interventional radiologists. Through a tiny incision in the skin, and image guidance, a catheter is used to deliver tiny particles that block the blood vessels leading to the fibroids, causing them to shrink and die. UFE produces less pain and has a shorter recovery period than surgical treatments, but a majority of women (62 percent) have never heard of it, despite more than 20 years of clinical use.
Even those with fibroids struggle to get a clear understanding of the available treatment options, and more than two in five women who have been diagnosed with uterine fibroids (44 percent) have never heard of UFE. In fact, 73 percent of women who have heard of UFE did not first learn of it from their OB-GYN, the frontline provider of fibroid treatment.
It is a disservice to women to not provide all the information needed for an informed decision. For women and their health care professionals who are weighing options to treat uterine fibroids, there is important information about UFE and the factors women should consider in choosing their treatment.
To learn more about fibroids, hear real patient stories and download materials for patient use, visit sirweb.org.
To read more about the ongoing journey to increase awareness of UFE and what SIR and IRs are doing to improve patient access, visit the articles below.
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IR legislation
Recent victories with UFE awareness have highlighted a legislative path forward to break down barriers to care.
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Episode 33: A victory for women's health
How UAE was added to a state bill for women's health and how IRs can help educate their legislators
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A case for collaboration
Interventional radiology plays an important role in women's health. However, as the society reported in 2017, awareness of that role by patients and referring physicians still lags far behind.
