GynoFiles

In perimenoapsue and menopause taking estrogen can cause wide ranging side effects. However, the effects on the lining of the uterus is not one of the benefits. Estrogen can cause bleeding, spotting, polyps, precancer and even lining cancer of the uterus. In a new report we have found that rates of uterine cancers are going up. In a study, published May 22, 2019 in the  Journal of Clinical Oncology  the information from NCI's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to evaluate trends in uterine cancer incidence rates for women overall and by race and ethnicity, geographic region, and biologic subtype , and found more aggressive and what used to be rare types of cancers of the uterus are increasing.  Whether these things will occur will depend on many factors,  including lifestyle, prior therapy, your diet , and your genetics. In the study it was thought that the biggest increases in uterine cancer, were due to cancers that are caused du...

Generally the uterus is about the size of an egg, well contained in the pelvis if not pregnant, and cannot cause the abdominal wall to protrude. Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous tumor growth. The muscle knots that comprise a fibroid uterus can be microscopically sized or very large. The total weight of a woman's uterus in her fertile years is typically about 60-70 grams. This uterus was 768 grams, and shown here are the fibroids removed at the time of a laparoscopic hysterectomy. The largest uteri removed with laparoscopic are about 7 lbs or around 3200 grams. Just for comparison, you should know the pregnant uterus can swell to up to 1000 grams to accommodate it's contents! T he fibroids themselves have a solid feel to them, almost as rigid as a rubber ball. For the most part the pressure the enlarged uterus can produce is uncomfortable, although some women report significant pain. The pressure of such a large uterus such as this one might produce actual deformities of ...

Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous muscle tumors of the womb, and in addition to symptoms due to size they are actually production plants for estrogen. Uterine fibroids actually arise from a single uterine muscle cell called a myocyte. If a woman has a number of uterine fibroids, and they have different characteristics they each has developed into a fibroid from a separate cell that evolved. The evolution of a fibroid actually stems from a gene defect.  Since 80% of women will have a uterine fibroid prior to menopause, most are not symptomatic in most people. Uterine fibroids do begin to develop in early reproductive life. Treatments depend on the size, the location, the goals of the patient, the amount of menstrual bleeding. Uterine fibroids are hormone sensitive, and they literally are powerhouses of estrogen. . All uterine muscle cells have receptors for estrogen and progesterone. Thus a uterine cell s stimulated to grow by these hormones. A uterine fibroid tumor has a grea...

There is a condition that is called in lay terms miscarrying myoma. It is not common, but all gynos will see these cases. The fibroid may have once been inside the wall of the uterus or on a stalk within the uterus and it just begins to work it's way free. Often these cases create extremely heavy bleeding and need immediate attention. Here are pictures illustrating what is seen . Treatment is usually surgical and in many cases the fibroids can be removed and the uterus saved, in some cases it causes such profuse bleeding a hysterectomy has to be done. For information on uterine fibroid treatment options please refer to the Venus study site . Cervical Fibroid Cervical Fibroid Trying to Deliver Itself

uterine fibroid removed at time of myomectomy

Not all cases of uterine cancer can be avoided, but the top ways to avoid uterine cancer are Have a baby Take birth control pills, for each year additional protection is afforded against ovarian and uterine cancer Use Progesterone Use a Progesterone IUD Diagnose and Treat all precancerous conditions of the uterus such as polyps, and uterine lining thickening also called hyperplasia Prevent and Control Obesity  Insulin Resistance Exercise,  more than 50% of all women do not get enough exercise to protect themselves against endometrial cancer Drink coffee Moderate the amount  alcohol intake Continue to have regular pap smears, more and more pap tests are improving uterine cancer detection as they become sensitive for picking up uterine cells, not just a cervical cancer test The uterine wall is a muscle, and the lining tissue is very different stuff, it’s called the endometrium. Endometrium is shed monthly and it regenerates, this propensity to grow...

You may have had a diagnosis of uterine fibroids, and been told that you might need surgery, but there is a lot to know regarding fibroids and women should realize they have a lot to discuss with their gyno if they've been diagnosed. Many fibroids are found on pelvic exam or pelvic ultrasound, and it's a surprise as the woman wasn't seeking consultation for period symptoms. Not all fibroids progress to having symptoms, and in fact a significant percent of women who do have symptoms won't need medicine or surgery because they report reduction of symptoms with observation alone. But for those with uterine bleeding, pelvic pains, or women with bulk symptoms such as abdominal swelling, pelvic heaviness, frequent urination, discomfort with sex, or bladder discomfort Both suregical and medical therapy for uterine fibroids are used commonly..  The chances of successful resolution of your symptoms depends upon what your symptoms are and what your plans for the future...

Sometimes a gynecologic diagnosis is very straightforward. Other times a test may be within normal limits for most women but yet be hiding something abnormal. It is possible to make a diagnosis of abnormal lining thickness of the uterus with an ultrasound. When women found out they could avoid the ouch of an actual biopsy or D and C and just rely on the ultrasound to detect uterine cancer they were very happy. The biopsies of the uterus may be able to be done in a quick office visit, but the biopsy is always uncomfortable, and an ultrasound is rarely painful. But it's important to remember that one test is just one test. And even if the lining measurements on ultrasound do not show that there is unusual thickness, the the newest information says that relying on ultrasound alone may miss some cases of uterine cancer. So One test is only one piece of the information you may need about your case. When women have an ultrasound, they need to understand they may need a repeat ultrasou...

Adenomyosis is a word from the Greeks. Aden, meaning gland or glandular, and myo meaning muscle. here is an aging, if you will, of the uterus that occurs that can distort the uterus. This condition is very common, in fact it may occur in at least 60% of all women as they age,and at least a third of the women with this condition will have any symptoms at all. In women with painful periods adenomyosis is always a possible diagnosis. It’s less likely to just be adenomyosis if women also have chronic pelvic pain. Adenomyosis, like other gynecologic conditions, can be responsive to hormones, but it's not specifically due to hormones being distorted, and it wouldn't have relationships to ovarian conditions, for instance, adenomyosis has no relationship we know of to ovarian cysts and should have no relationship to pains that occurred with a current or prior ovarian cyst. Adenomyosis, a condition of glands from the uterine lining being entrapped within the wall of the uterus, gene...

Endometrial Polyp Uterine Polyps on the Anterior and Posterior Uterine Wall Hystereoscopic View of Uterine Polyp View of the Uterine Resectoscope after Uterine Polyp Removal Uterine Polyp Being Removed By the Myosure Device

By menopause uterine fibroids are present in one out of three women if we use very strict criteria, but oddly the research in fibroids has lagged terribly according to Dr. Shannon Laughlin and Dr Elizabeth Stewart of the Center for Uterine Fibroids at Mayo Clinic association. There are some interesting pictures on the web of fibroids and the process of surgically removing them . Uterine ablation treatments, such as NovaSure endometrial ablation, are designed remove the lining so it won’t bleed  too heavy even if you do have fibroids. And there are other studies looking into the use of the newest medication for heavy period bleeding, but it may not control the fibroids themselves or make them any smaller. There are medication therapies that actually shrinks fibroids, which medicine and how long to use it is a discussion for you and your gyno. Why this research gap of the number one cause of hysterectomies in the country? No one knows exactly, in part because we don’t general...

Did you know that a little over 1/3 of all deliveries in the U.S. are cesarean? What you don’t know is, although it's thought to be uncommon, after having a c-section you have an increased risk of your uterus not healing correctly. The poor healing after c-section may leave a woman with a low grade contained infection, or a gap in the wall, or just a thinning of the wall of the uterus itself. How well your uterus heals after a c-section can help determine the health of your next pregnancy, as it will affect where a new pregnancy can implant within the uterus. There is no specific of numbers of c-sections a woman can have and the risks rise slightly after more than just one previous c-section. However, if you have healed well, you are more likely to be healthier and have a lower risk in any future pregnancies should you want them. There is no set "number of  total c-sections that is safe." Women often will have a third or 4th safely, but what is important is how t...

If you have polyps in the lining of your uterus the first discussion is weather you are trying to get pregnant or not. The second question is often when to schedule surgery, as it's not certain the polyp is a polyp until it's examined under the microscope to see if has a component of pre-cancer or infection, or is something entirely different such as a fibroid. And as for getting pregnant women who had their uterine polyp removed were twice as likely to get pregnant when infertile than if they didn't have it removed. So the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists (AAGL) recommends removing polyps to improve fertility. The other consideration is what to do after you have your polyps removed to prevent them from ever coming back? There are options: just watch, use birth control pills, or use progesterone. Many women struggle with that recommendation because progesterone is associated with moodiness. One of the struggles is then whether .ouse progesterone, or j...