What Are Fibroids?
10. Prognosis and Research
Although most uterine fibroids are benign, it is estimated that about 1 in 1,000 lesions are or become malignant. These malignant lesions are usually a leiomyosarcoma. Some of the factors to look out for include increasing growth of fibroids after menopause, rapid growth, or unexpected growth. When malignancy is suspected, surgical treatment is recommended.
One study comparing the effect of an aromatase inhibitor (letrozole) against a gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist therapy (triptorelin) found that the size of the fibroid was reduced by 45.6% in the letrozole and 33.2% in the triptorelin group. In this study, no women taking letrozole reported hot flashes while all women taking triptorelin experienced hot flashes. This led the researchers to conclude that aromatase inhibitors can be used to manage fibroids without causing significant changes in the hormone levels.
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