Women undergoing MR-guided focused
ultrasound (MRgFUS) for symptomatic fibroids are twice as likely to undergo a
second procedure as compared to women treated by Uterine Artery Embolization(UAE)
reports results of study presented at ASRM 2017.
The study is also published in
Fertility and Sterility September supplement.
The FIRSTT study (NCT00995878)
enrolled 83 premenopausal women with symptomatic uterine fibroids and have
completed their families, with an aim to compare the safety and effectiveness
of two standard fibroid treatments approved by FDA: MRI guided ultrasound
surgery (MRgFUS) and uterine artery embolization (UAE).
It also focused on better
understanding of fibroid symptoms that bothered the women most, and how it
affects the quality of life.
The study randomized the women to one
of the treatment arms as well as observed the outcome for women who refused randomization
but met the study criteria.
The average age of the study
participant was 45 years with nearly 2/3 being obese (BMI > 25 kg/m2) and Caucasian. Nearly twice the number of women who
underwent MRgFUS, required a second procedure at the end of two years as compared
to women undergoing embolization (HR 2.8, 95% CI: 1.1, 7.8).
A significantly more number of women
attained menopause in embolization arm (9%) vs MRgFUS(0%). Disease specific quality of
life was also much better in women who had embolization, perhaps early menopause
alleviated the symptoms of fibroid.
The authors concluded that, “Women undergoing MRgFUS were
more likely to have a second procedure for fibroids compared with those
undergoing UAE.”
More News from ASRM 2017
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