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Fibroids are a non-cancerous growth of muscle and fibrous tissue which develop in the wombs of about a third of women.

They can grow to the size of a pea or a melon. 

Who gets them? 

They are most common in women aged between 30 to 50-years-of-age.

They are also thought to be more common in women of African-Caribbean origin, as well as in women who are more overweight or obese.

Women who have children have a lower risk of developing fibroids with the risk decreasing per number of children.  

 Why do they occur?

The exact cause is unknown but it is thought that the appearance of fibroids is linked to the reproductive hormone oestrogen.

What are the symptoms?

Most women who get fibroids will be unaware as only a third develop symptoms.

The symptoms can be heavy or painful periods, tummy pain, lower back pain, frequent need to urinate, constipation, or pain or discomfort during sex. 

What are the treatments for fibroids?

Generally only women who have symptoms with their fibroids will receive treatment.

In most cases medication is prescribed to either alleviate the symptoms or in more sever cases to shrink the fibroids. 

Surgery, like a hysterectomy to remove the womb, is generally only considered if symptoms are particularly severe and if medication has been ineffective.   

Are they dangerous?

Most fibroids are harmless and they shrink or disappear over time, particularly after menopause. 

However a very rare cancer can develop from fibroid. This is called uterine leiomyosarcoma.

This aggressive cancer is thought to only develop in about one to five out of every 1,000 women with fibroids.

It is mostly diagnosed after a

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