Roger Harms, M.D., Mayo Clinic specialist in obstetrics-gynecology

When I've discovered uterine fibroids on an exam and go on to explain that these are benign tumors in the uterus, a patient quite naturally gets concerned with the word "tumor." Therefore, the first thing is to educate that this is a very common condition, often with almost no negative ramifications. Usually by the time we make the discovery, I already have an understanding from the woman whether she has symptoms that suggest the fibroids may be causing some problems. Under those circumstances, then, we weigh the severity of the symptoms, their degree of interference in her day-to-day living, and make decisions about treatment based on her judgment about how much those symptoms are bothering her.

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