The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning women and doctors about the risks of a certain technique used in surgery for uterine fibroids. The procedure, called laparoscopic power morcellation, uses a medical device to break uterine fibroids into small pieces, so they can be removed through a small incision in the abdomen. According to the FDA, if the woman also has uterine cancer, this procedure can risk spreading the cancer within the abdomen and pelvis, making it harder to treat.
Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous growths in the uterus. They are very common and often do not cause symptoms. However, fibroids sometimes do cause problems such as heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding, pelvic pressure or pain, and frequent urination. If these symptoms are severe enough, the fibroids may need to be treated.
One option has been surgery to remove the uterus (hysterectomy). One way to do this is through a large incision in the lower abdomen. Another option is to remove the uterus (or the fibroid) using laparoscopy, which only requires a few small incisions. The smaller incisions mean a much shorter recovery time for the patient. It may not be possible, though, to remove the uterus (or fibroid) through a small incision without first breaking it up into small pieces. In rare cases, a doctor may discover after the procedure that the woman doesn’t just have fibroids – she also has uterine sarcoma, a type of cancer. There is currently no reliable method for predicting whether a woman with fibroids may have uterine sarcoma.
The FDA looked at studies about the use of power morcellation to find out how often problems occur. They found that anywhere from 1 in 225 to 1 in 580 women treated for fibroids by having their uterus or fibroids removed was later found to have uterine sarcoma. Diagnosis was made when the tissue removed at surgery was examined under a microscope.
The FDA is discouraging the use of this procedure to treat fibroids in most women, and is urging women to discuss the risks and benefits with their doctor when choosing how to treat fibroids:
Our team is made up of doctors and oncology certified nurses with deep knowledge of cancer care as well as journalists, editors, and translators with extensive experience in medical writing.
Shirika la Marekani la kudhibiti dawa na vyakula (FDA) limewaonya wanawake na madaktari kuhusu hatari za mbinu fulani inayotumiwa katika upasuaji wa kuondoa uvimbe wa tumbo la uzazi. Utaratibu huu unaitwa laparoscopic power morcellation, na hutumia kifaa cha matibabu kuvunja uterine fibroids katika vipande vidogo, ili iweze kuondolewa kupitia upasuaji mdogo kwenye tumbo. Kulingana na FDA, ikiwa mwanamke pia ana saratani ya tumbo la uzazi, utaratibu huu unaweza kuhatarisha kuenea kwa saratani ndani ya tumbo na pelvis, na kuifanya iwe ngumu kutibu. Uti wa uterini ni uvimbe usio wa kansa katika tumbo la uzazi. Ni za kawaida sana na mara nyingi hazisababishi dalili. Hata hivyo, nyakati nyingine fibroids husababisha matatizo kama vile kutokwa na damu kwa muda mrefu au kwa muda mrefu, shinikizo la kitanda au maumivu, na kukohoa mara nyingi. Ikiwa dalili hizo ni kali vya kutosha, huenda ikawa lazima fibroids zitendewe. Njia moja imekuwa upasuaji wa kuondoa tumbo la uzazi (hysterectomy). Njia moja ya kufanya hivyo ni kwa kufanya upasuaji mkubwa kwenye sehemu ya chini ya tumbo. Njia nyingine ni kuondoa tumbo la uzazi (au uvimbe) kwa kutumia laparoscopy, ambayo huhitaji upasuaji mdogo tu. Machapisho madogo zaidi yanamaanisha muda mfupi zaidi wa kupona kwa mgonjwa. Hata hivyo, huenda isiwezekane kuondoa tumbo la uzazi (au uvimbe) kwa upasuaji mdogo bila kwanza kuupunguza vipande vidogo. Katika visa vichache, daktari anaweza kugundua baada ya utaratibu kwamba mwanamke hana tu fibroids <unk> yeye pia ana sarcoma uterine, aina ya kansa. Kwa sasa hakuna njia ya kuaminika ya kutabiri ikiwa mwanamke aliye na fibroids anaweza kuwa na sarcoma ya tumbo la uzazi. FDA ilichunguza utafiti kuhusu matumizi ya nguvu ya morcellation ili kujua ni mara ngapi matatizo hutokea. Katika uchunguzi huo, wanawake 1 kati ya 225 na 1 kati ya 580 waliopatiwa matibabu ya fibroids, baada ya kuondolewa uterasi au fibroids, baadaye walipatikana kuwa na sarcoma ya uterasi. Ugonjwa huo uligunduliwa wakati tishu iliyotolewa wakati wa upasuaji ilipochunguzwa chini ya darubini. FDA inakataza matumizi ya utaratibu huu kutibu fibroids katika wanawake wengi, na ni kushinikiza wanawake kujadili hatari na faida na daktari wao wakati wa kuchagua jinsi ya kutibu fibroids. timu yetu inajumuisha madaktari na oncology kuthibitishwa wauguzi na maarifa ya kina ya huduma ya kansa, pamoja na waandishi wa habari, wahariri, na watafsiri na uzoefu mkubwa katika kuandika matibabu.