Uterine Fibroids.

This JAMA Insights in the Women's Health series discusses the incidence, diagnosis, and treatment of uterine fibroids.

Racial Disparities in Uterine Fibroid Treatment Among Veterans Using VA Health Care.

INTRODUCTION: Uterine fibroids are common, nonmalignant tumors that disproportionately impact Black patients. We aimed to examine Black and White differences in receipt of any treatment and type of first treatment in the Department of Veterans Affairs, including effect modification by severity as approximated by anemia. METHODS: We used Department of Veterans Affairs administrative data to identify 5,041 Black and 3,206 White veterans with symptomatic uterine fibroids, identified by International Classification of Diseases, 9th edition, Clinical Modification, codes, between fiscal year 2010 and fiscal year 2012 and followed in the administrative data through fiscal year 2018 for outcomes. Outcomes included receipt of any treatment, hysterectomy as first treatment, and fertility-sparing treatment as first treatment. We stratified all analyses by age (<45, ≥45 years old), used generalized linear models with a log link and Poisson error distribution, included an interaction term between race and anemia, and used recycled predictions to estimate adjusted percentages for outcomes. RESULTS: There was evidence of effect modification by anemia for receipt of any treatment but not for any other outcomes. Across age and anemia sub-groups, Black veterans were less likely to receive any treatment than White veterans. Adjusted racial differences were most pronounced among veterans with anemia (<45 years, Black-White difference = -10.3 percentage points; 95% confidence interval, -15.9 to -4.7; ≥45 years, Black-White difference = -20.3 percentage points; 95% confidence interval, -27.8 to -12.7). Across age groups, Black veterans were less likely than White veterans to have hysterectomy and more likely to have a fertility-sparing treatment as their first treatment. CONCLUSIONS: We identified significant Black-White disparities in receipt of treatment for symptomatic uterine fibroids. Additional research that centers the experiences of Black veterans with uterine fibroids is needed to inform strategies to eliminate racial disparities in uterine fibroid care.

Racial disparities in uterine fibroids and endometriosis: a systematic review and application of social, structural, and political context.

IMPORTANCE: Uterine fibroids and endometriosis are 2 of the leading causes of morbidity among reproductive-aged women. There are significant racial disparities in disease prevalence, incidence, age of onset, and treatment profile in fibroids. The data on endometriosis are less clear. OBJECTIVE: To conduct a systematic review of racial disparities in prevalence of uterine fibroids and endometriosis in the United States and summarize the literature on these 2 highly prevalent benign gynecologic conditions using a framework that explicitly incorporates and acknowledges the social, structural, and political contexts as a root cause of racial disparities between Black and White women. EVIDENCE REVIEW: A systematic review regarding racial disparities in prevalence of fibroids and endometriosis was conducted separately. Two separate searches were conducted in PubMed to identify relevant original research manuscripts and prior systematic reviews regarding racial disparities in uterine fibroids and endometriosis using standardized search terms. In addition, we conducted a structured literature search to provide social, structural, and political context of the disparities. FINDINGS: A systematic review of the literature indicated that the prevalence of uterine fibroids was consistently higher in Black than in White women with the magnitude of the difference varying depending on population and case definition. Prevalence of endometriosis varied considerably depending on the base population and case definition, but was the same or lower among Black vs. White women. As a result of the social, structural, and political context in the United States, Black women disproportionately experience a range of exposures across the life course that may contribute to their increased uterine fibroid incidence, prevalence, and severity of uterine fibroids. However, data suggest no racial difference in the incidence of endometriosis. Nevertheless, Black women with fibroids or endometriosis experience worse clinical and surgical outcomes than their White counterparts. CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: Racial disparities in uterine fibroids and endometriosis can be linked with differential exposures to suspected etiologic agents, lack of adequate access to health care, including highly skilled gynecologic surgeons, and bias and discrimination within the health care system. Eliminating these racial disparities will require solutions that address root causes of health disparities through policy, education and programs to ensure that all patients receive culturally- and structurally-competent care.

Significant interpopulation differentiation at candidate loci may underlie ethnic disparities in the prevalence of uterine fibroids.

Uterine fibroids (UF) are a significant health problem bearing a substantial economic burden. The prevalence of the disease is disparate in populations of different ethnic ancestry being the highest in Africans. This study analysed worldwide population differentiation at the genomewide association study (GWAS)-significant UF-associated loci to test a hypothesis that population structure at risk loci might underlie the observed interethnic disparities in the prevalence. In total, 28 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) with the GWAS significance for European Caucasians were analysed in female cohorts of the European, admixed American, African, east Asian, and South Asian populations retrieved from the 1000 Genomes Project data. Common population genetic structure estimators, polygenic risk score (unweighted and weighted) were computed. According to the Fisher's exact test, the populations were significantly differentiated (P<< 10-5) at the UF risk loci. The polygenic risk scores did not differ significantly when calculated across all loci. However, they differed when only loci with risk alleles showing the enrichment/depletion patterns correlating with the documented ethnicity-specific risk of the disease were included in the calculation. The population genetic structure at the UF risk loci is apparently a significant factor underlying the observed between-ethnic disparities in the disease prevalence.

Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Seroprevalence and Incidence and Growth of Ultrasound-Diagnosed Uterine Fibroids in a Large Population of Young African-American Women.

Reproductive tract infections have long been hypothesized to be risk factors for development of uterine fibroids, but few studies have investigated the issue. In our 2016 cross-sectional analysis from the Study of Environment, Lifestyle and Fibroids (2010-2018), a large Detroit, Michigan, community-based cohort study of 23- to 35-year-old African-American women with ultrasound fibroid screening, we found no association between a very prevalent reproductive tract infection, herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), and fibroids. With prospective data from the cohort (ultrasounds performed every 20 months over 5 years), we examined HSV-2's associations with fibroid incidence (among 1,208 women who were fibroid-free at baseline) and growth (among women with fibroids at baseline or diagnosed during the study). Using Cox proportional hazards models, we computed adjusted hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for fibroid incidence comparing HSV-2-seropositive women with HSV-2-seronegative women. The influence of HSV-2 infection on growth was assessed on the basis of the difference in fibroid size between successive ultrasounds (1,323 growth measures) using a linear mixed model, estimating the percent difference in growth scaled to 18 months. HSV-2 seropositivity was not associated with fibroid incidence (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.88, 95% confidence interval: 0.69, 1.12) or growth (estimated growth difference = 3.1%, 95% confidence interval: -5.8, 13.0). Women can be reassured that HSV-2 infection is unlikely to increase their risk of fibroid-related health problems, given these longitudinal measures.

Integrating Intersectionality Into the Exposome Paradigm: A Novel Approach to Racial Inequities in Uterine Fibroids.

Intersectionality is a critical theoretical framework that emphasizes the influence of intersecting systems of oppression on the lived experiences of people marginalized by inequity. Although applications of intersectionality are increasing in public health, this framework is absent in environmental health, which has instead focused on the exposome, a paradigm that considers the totality of an individual's environmental exposures across the life course.Despite advancements in the biological complexity of exposome models, they continue to fall short in addressing health inequities. Therefore, we highlight the need for integrating intersectionality into the exposome. We introduce key concepts and tools for environmental health scientists interested in operationalizing intersectionality in exposome studies and discuss examples of this innovative approach from our work on racial inequities in uterine fibroids.Our case studies illustrate how interlocking systems of racism and sexism may affect Black women's exposure to environmental chemicals, their epigenetic regulation of uterine fibroids, and their clinical care. Because health relies on biological and social-structural determinants and varies across different intersectional positions, our proposed framework may be a promising approach for understanding environmental health inequities and furthering social justice.

The Impact of Fibroids and Histologic Subtype on the Performance of US Clinical Guidelines for the Diagnosis of Endometrial Cancer among Black Women.

Objective: To assess the predicted performance of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG)'s recommended endometrial thickness (ET) of ≥4mm via transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) for a simulated cohort of US Black women with postmenopausal bleeding (PMB). Main Outcome Measure: Performance characteristics of 3+, 4+, and 5+mm ET thresholds were assessed including sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), Receiver Operator Characteristic (ROC) curves, and the area under the curve (AUC). Methods: We used endometrial cancer parameters from ET studies upon which guidelines are based, as well as documented population characteristics of US Black women, to simulate a cohort of US Black women with PMB. Annual endometrial cancer (EC) prevalence overall and by histology type (I and II), history and current diagnosis of uterine fibroids, and visibility of endometria were estimated. Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess performance changes with quality of baseline parameters and impact of fibroids on ET visibility. Results: In the main model with the 4+mm recommended threshold, TVUS ET showed a sensitivity of 47.5% (95% CI: 46.0-49.0%); specificity of 64.9% (95% CI: 64.4-65.3%); PPV of 13.1% (95% CI: 12.5-13.6%); NPV of 91.7% (95% CI: 91.4-92.1%), and AUC of .57 (95% CI: .56-.57). Conclusions: Among a simulated cohort of US Black women, the recommended 4+mm ET threshold to trigger diagnostic biopsy for EC diagnosis performed poorly, with more than 50% of cases missed and an 8-fold higher frequency of false negative results than reported for the general population.

Racial Disparities in Response to a US Food and Drug Administration Safety Communication Regarding the Use of Power Morcellation for the Treatment of Uterine Leiomyoma.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the rate of increase in the performance of abdominal myomectomy over a laparoscopic approach after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) safety communication regarding morcellator use for myomectomy differs among races. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement data. PATIENTS: Patients aged 18 to 55 years who underwent either laparoscopic or abdominal myomectomy, excluding malignant cases, emergency cases, operations performed by nongynecologic specialists, and cases in which myomectomy was performed during cesarean section. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The odds ratios of abdominal myomectomy over laparoscopic myomectomy before and after the release of the FDA communication were calculated in 3 race categories: white, African American, and other races. In a logistic regression analysis adjusted for possible confounders, including all races, the odds ratio of abdominal myomectomy before and after the FDA communication was 1.30 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20-1.41; p <.001). In a logistic regression analysis with a product term of FDA communication exposure and race as a possible effect modifier, the African American population showed a significantly greater change in the odds of abdominal myomectomy over laparoscopic myomectomy in comparison with the white population (1.22; 95% CI, 1.02-1.47; p = .03). In contrast, other races showed no significant change (.83; 95% CI, .64-1.08; p = .17). CONCLUSION: After the FDA communication, the odds ratio of abdominal myomectomy was disproportionately increased in the African American population.

Leiomyomas in an African Caribbean hysterectomy population considered to be ethnically related to African Americans.

BACKGROUND: Uterine leiomyoma has been reported to be a worse problematic disease for African American than Caucasian women in the US. Data are almost non-existent for other populations of African ancestry. Our aim was to investigate the hypothesis of an equivalent influence of ethnicity on uterine leiomyomas for women of a French African-Caribbean population. BASIC PROCEDURES: Retrospective analysis of hysterectomies performed from 2010 to 2015 at the teaching hospital of Guadeloupe (French West Indies), where most inhabitants are of West African origin, was carried out. Data of the 899 hysterectomies, including those for malignancy, were collected, in particular, uterine weight. MAIN FINDINGS: The indications were leiomyoma in 66.5 % of cases and leiomyomas were found in 91 % of all cases. The mean age and uterine weight were 51.7 years and 464 g for the entire population, 50.2 years and 488 g for the population without malignancies, and 47.0 years and 567 g for the population with leiomyomas. PRINCIPAL CONCLUSIONS: The data were compared to those reported in the literature for several populations, notably African Americans and Caucasians in the US and mainland France. This comparison supports the hypothesis that Guadeloupean women, an African-Caribbean population, have characteristics in terms of uterine leiomyoma that are close to those of African Americans. Although confirmation is required, these results highlight the need for specific research, therapeutic approaches, and improved early management of these populations.

Influence of Ethnicity on Clinical Presentation and Quality of Life in Women With Uterine Fibroids: Results From a Prospective Observational Registry.

OBJECTIVE: This study sought to evaluate ethnic variations in the clinical presentation of women with uterine fibroids. METHODS: A total of 996 premenopausal women with symptomatic uterine fibroids were enrolled in a prospective, non-interventional, observational registry at 19 clinical sites across Canada (CAPTURE Registry). Patient-reported outcomes were assessed using Uterine Fibroid Symptom and Health-Related Quality of Life Symptom Severity questionnaires and the Aberdeen Menorrhagia Severity Scale (Ruta score). Linear and logistic regression models, adjusted for patient and fibroid characteristics, were used to examine differences among ethnicities for continuous and binary outcomes of interest. RESULTS: Black women were 4.9 years younger (P < 0.001), were more likely to be nulligravid (P = 0.046), had a 41% longer duration of symptoms before enrolment (P = 0.01), had a 49% larger fibroid volume (P = 0.01), and were more likely to be anemic (P < 0.001) compared with White women. Black women reported lower health-related quality of life scores (-5.19 points; 95% CI -9.90 to -0.48, P = 0.03) compared with White women. East Asian women were 2.0 years younger (P = 0.01), were more likely to be nulligravid (P < 0.001), had a 53% longer duration of symptoms (P = 0.01), had 67% larger fibroid volume (P = 0.01), and were more likely to be anemic (P = 0.003) compared with White women. East Asian women had lower symptom severity scores (-5.95 points; 95% CI -11.16 to -0.75, P = 0.02). Non-White women preferred uterine-preserving treatment options (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Black and East Asian women have an increased burden of disease compared with White women and prefer uterine preservation. There is a discrepancy between disease burden and patient-reported outcomes that may reflect ethnocultural differences in disease experience.

The association between chronic psychological stress and uterine fibroids risk: A meta-analysis of observational studies.

The association between chronic psychological stress and uterine fibroids (UFs) risk remains unclear. In this study, a meta-analysis of observational studies was performed to explore the reported association between them. A literature search was performed in PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science to identify relevant published articles. A random-effect model was used to examine pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Additionally, subgroup analyses and two-stage random-effect dose-response meta-analysis were performed. A total of six articles with seven studies were included in this meta-analysis. For the highest versus lowest category of chronic psychological stress, the pooled OR was 1.24 (95% CI [1.15, 1.34]; p = .000). Through subgroup analyses, we found a positive association between chronic psychological stress and UFs risk especially in non-Hispanic Blacks studies (OR, 1.24, 95% CI [1.14, 1.34], p = .000). When evaluating for a dose-response, we found a weak correlation between chronic psychological stress and UFs risk, especially for the severe (OR, 1.17, 95% CI [1.07, 1.29]) and very severe (OR, 1.23, 95% CI [1.07, 1.41]) categories. Our meta-analysis shows a statistically significant association between chronic psychological stress and UFs risk particularly for non-Hispanic Blacks. Interventions aiming to reduce chronic psychological stress may be useful to decrease the prevalence of UFs.

[Disease burden on uterine fibroids in China, 1990 and 2016].

Objective: To assess the disease burden on uterine fibroids in China in 1990 and 2016. Methods: Data were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. Burdens of uterine fibrosis among different age groups and provinces were measured in 1990 and 2016, with key indicators including number of cases, prevalence rates, disability-adjusted life year (DALY) and the rates of DALY. The WHO world standard population, 2010-2035 was used to calculate the age- standardized rates. Results: In 1990 and 2016, there were 13 695 567 and 27 169 312 women aged 15 years and older, suffered from uterine fibrosis respectively, with prevalence rate as 2.48% and 4.10%, DALY as 146 045.05 life years and 281 976.67 life years, and the DALY rate as 26.40/100 000 and 42.50/100 000, in 1990 and 2016 respectively. Both the prevalence rate and the DALY rate increased with age, reaching the peak on the 45-49 years-old, in both 1990 and 2016. Women aged 40-54 years accounted for 55.60% (1990) and 66.74% (2016) of the total cases while 48.37% (1990) and 60.65% (2016) of the total DALY. The first three provinces with highest DALYs were Shandong (1990: 12 574.67 life year; 2016: 22 728.12 life year), Henan (1990: 10 849.29 life year; 2016: 18 454.32 life year) and Jiangsu (1990: 10 501.55 life year; 2016: 18 274.10 life year), while the three provinces with leading standardized DALY rates were Heilongjiang (1990: 48.20/100 000; 2016: 47.00/100 000), Shanxi (1990: 44.50/100 000; 2016: 47.70/100 000) and Tianjin (1990: 43.80/100 000; 2016: 46.40/100 000) in both 1990 and 2016. Compared with 1990, the number of cases with uterine fibroids increased by 13 473 745 (with rate of change as: 98.38%), standardized prevalence rate increased by 1.88%, DALY value increased by 135 931.62 life years (with the rate of change as 93.08%) and standardized DALY rate increased by 5.92% among Chinese women, in 2016. Conclusion: Menopausal women were the ones hard hit by uterine fibrosis. Compared with data from 1990, the disease burden of uterine fibrosis increased rapidly in China, in 2016.

Associations between Race/Ethnicity, Uterine Fibroids, and Minimally Invasive Hysterectomy in the VA Healthcare System.

BACKGROUND: In the general population, Black and Latina women are less likely to undergo minimally invasive hysterectomy than White women, which may be related to racial/ethnic variation in fibroid prevalence and characteristics. Whether similar differences exist in the Department of Veterans Affairs Healthcare System (VA) is unknown. METHODS: Using VA clinical and administrative data, we identified all women veterans undergoing hysterectomy for benign indications in fiscal years 2012-2014. We identified hysterectomy route (laparoscopic with/without robot-assist, vaginal, abdominal) by International Classification of Diseases, 9th edition, codes. We used multinomial logistic regression to estimate associations of race/ethnicity with hysterectomy route and tested whether associations varied by fibroid diagnosis using an interaction term. Models adjusted for age, income, body mass index, gynecologic diagnoses, medical comorbidities, whether procedure was performed or paid for by VA, geographic region, and fiscal year. RESULTS: Among 2,744 identified hysterectomies, 53% were abdominal, 29% laparoscopic, and 18% vaginal. In multinomial models, racial/ethnic differences were present among veterans with but not without fibroid diagnoses (p value for interaction < .001). Among veterans with fibroids, Black veterans were less likely than White veterans to have minimally invasive hysterectomy (laparoscopic vs. abdominal relative risk ratio [RRR], 0.52; 95% CI, 0.38-0.72; vaginal vs. abdominal RRR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.43-0.73). Latina veterans were as likely as White veterans to have laparoscopic as abdominal hysterectomy (RRR, 1.34; 95% CI, 0.87-2.07) and less likely to have vaginal than abdominal hysterectomy (RRR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.15-0.69). CONCLUSIONS: Receipt of minimally invasive hysterectomy among women veterans with fibroids varied by race/ethnicity. Further investigation of the underlying mechanisms and potential interventions to increase minimally invasive hysterectomy among minority women veterans is needed.

A US population-based study of uterine fibroid diagnosis incidence, trends, and prevalence: 2005 through 2014.

BACKGROUND: Despite considerable public health burden, uterine fibroid population-based incidence estimates are few. Secular trends over time are even more limited. OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate the incidence, 10-year secular trends, and prevalence of uterine fibroid diagnoses and describe the proportion of symptomatic women. STUDY DESIGN: We performed a retrospective population-based cohort study of women, aged 18-65 years, enrolled 2005 through 2014 in Kaiser Permanente Washington. Uterine fibroid diagnoses identified by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes and potential covariates were extracted from computerized databases. Women with prior hysterectomy and, for incidence estimates, women with prior fibroid diagnoses were excluded. Linear trends in incidence rates over the 10-year study period were evaluated using Poisson regression models. Rates and trend tests were examined for all women, by age groups, and by race/ethnicity. RESULTS: Associated International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision symptom-related codes were observed in 90% of incident cases. Incidence rates for fibroid diagnoses were highest for the age group 45-49 years, 240.3 per 10,000 woman-years in 2014, and for black women across all years. Overall age-adjusted estimated incidence rates declined during the 10-year study interval, from 139.4 per 10,000 woman-years in 2005 to 101.4 in 2014 (P value trend .0008). Overall prevalence in 2014 was 9.6%, and was highest among women aged 50-54 years (15.9%). Black women had higher prevalence (18.5%) than other racial/ethnic groups. CONCLUSION: We found a decreasing trend of new uterine fibroid diagnoses among predominantly symptomatic women ages 18-65 years in a recent 10-year interval. This finding was due, perhaps in part, to secular trends of decreasing hysterectomies. Nonetheless, uterine fibroids remain a common health burden, with a prevalence of nearly 10%. Rates are disproportionately high and occur at younger ages for black women, and possibly for other non-white racial/ethnic groups. These findings are of concern, as current available long-term medical therapies remain limited.

Expanding upon the Human Myometrial Stem Cell Hypothesis and the Role of Race, Hormones, Age, and Parity in a Profibroid Environment.

Uterine fibroids (UFs) are clonal, hormonally regulated, benign smooth-muscle myometrial tumors that severely affect female reproductive health, although their unknown etiology limits effective care. UFs occur fourfold more commonly in African American women than in Caucasian women, and African American women generally have earlier disease onset and greater UF tumor burden, although the mechanism of this ethnic disparity has not been identified. Recent findings have linked cancer (ie, tumor) risk to increased tissue-specific stem cell division and self-renewal and suggest that somatic mutations in myometrial stem cells (MyoSCs) convert them into tumor-initiating cells, leading to UF. Specifically, preliminary results in paraffin-embedded myometrial tissues have shown increased STRO-1+/CD44+ MyoSCs in African American versus Caucasian women. Using specific methods of flow cytometry and automated quantitative pathology imaging, a large cohort of myometrial samples were investigated to determine how the STRO-1+/CD44+ MyoSCs change with regard to a patient's race, age, parity, fibroid and hormone statuses, and the location of UFs within the uterus. We confirmed that the STRO-1+/CD44+ MyoSC population is expanded in African American women, is correlated with parity and fibroid number, and fluctuates with cyclic menstrual cycle hormone changes and age. Our data suggest that an expanded MyoSC population increases the formation of tumor-initiating cells, ultimately contributing to increased UF prevalence and burden in African American women.

Association of Patient Race With Surgical Practice and Perioperative Morbidity After Myomectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To compare surgical approach, operative time, and perioperative morbidity after myomectomy by patient race. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, data were abstracted from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database on 8,438 women undergoing myomectomy between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2015. Myoma burden and approach to myomectomy were determined based on Current Procedural Terminology coding. Surgical approach and perioperative morbidity were examined in African American, Asian American, and Hispanic American women using non-Hispanic Caucasian women as the referent population. Adjusted means and odds ratios (ORs) with 95% CI were calculated using propensity score matching accounting for age, ethnicity, body mass index (BMI), myoma burden, preoperative anemia, hypertension, smoking, and operative time. RESULTS: Data were available for 2,533 Caucasian, 3,359 African American, 664 Asian American, and 700 Hispanic American women. Smoking, BMI, hypertension, myoma burden, and anemia varied by race (P<.001, all comparisons). In adjusted analysis, African American women were twice as likely to undergo abdominal myomectomy (adjusted OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.7-2.0), Asian American women were more than twice as likely (adjusted OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.8-2.8), and Hispanic American women were 50% more likely to undergo abdominal myomectomy (adjusted OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.2-1.9) when compared with Caucasian women. African American women were 50% more likely to experience composite morbidity after abdominal myomectomy (adjusted OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.2-1.7) and Asian American women were more than three times as likely to experience composite morbidity after laparoscopic myomectomy (adjusted OR 3.7, 95% CI 1.7-8.1) compared with Caucasian women. There were no differences in composite morbidity in other racial groups. CONCLUSION: Minority women are substantially more likely to undergo abdominal myomectomy when compared with Caucasian women. African American women had 50% increased odds of morbidity after abdominal myomectomy, and Asian American women were more than three times as likely to experience morbidity after laparoscopic myomectomy. Further examination into the etiology and prevention of these racial disparities is needed.

Returning to work after laparoscopic myomectomy: a prospective observational study.

INTRODUCTION: Laparoscopic myomectomy offers women many benefits over conventional open surgery, including an expedited recovery and return to employment. Our study evaluates the time taken for women to return to work after laparoscopic myomectomy and identifies factors prolonging recovery to > 8 weeks. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We prospectively evaluated 94 women undergoing laparoscopic myomectomy by a single surgeon between January 2012 and March 2015. Women had standardized preoperative counseling and completed a validated return to work questionnaire 3 months postoperatively via telephone, post or in clinic. RESULTS: In all, 71/94 (75.5%) women completed the questionnaire. Results were analyzed comparing women who returned to work in ≤ 8 weeks [43/71 (60.6%)] with those who returned > 8 weeks postoperatively [28/71 (39.4%)]. A higher proportion of Asian and Caucasian women returned to work in ≤ 8 weeks (24/29) compared with black African and Caribbean women (19/42) (p = 0.003). Mean number of fibroids removed (2.59 and 5.75, respectively) was the only significantly differing factor between the two groups (p = 0.004). There was a significant difference in body mass index (BMI) and time to return to normal activity between the ≤ 8-week and > 8-week groups (p = 0.027, p = 0.011, respectively). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that BMI and time to return to normal activity were the only factors prolonging recovery to > 8 weeks (p = 0.039, p = 0.015, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Time to return to normal activity and BMI significantly influenced the time taken for women to work after laparoscopic myomectomy. Further data would support clinicians in counseling women appropriately and optimizing their postoperative return to employment.

Admixture mapping of uterine fibroid size and number in African American women.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between genetic ancestry and uterine fibroid characteristics. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Not applicable. PATIENT(S): A total of 609 African American participants with image- or surgery-confirmed fibroids in a biorepository at Vanderbilt University electronic health record biorepository and the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults studies were included. INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Outcome measures include fibroid number (single vs. multiple), volume of largest fibroid, and largest fibroid dimension of all fibroid measurements. RESULT(S): Global ancestry meta-analyses revealed a significant inverse association between percentage of European ancestry and risk of multiple fibroids (odds ratio: 0.78; 95% confidence interval 0.66, 0.93; P=6.05 × 10-3). Local ancestry meta-analyses revealed five suggestive (P<4.80 × 10-3) admixture mapping peaks in 2q14.3-2q21.1, 3p14.2-3p14.1, 7q32.2-7q33, 10q21.1, 14q24.2-14q24.3, for number of fibroids and one suggestive admixture mapping peak (P<1.97 × 10-3) in 10q24.1-10q24.32 for volume of largest fibroid. Single variant association meta-analyses of the strongest associated region from admixture mapping of fibroid number (10q21.1) revealed a strong association at single nucleotide polymorphism variant rs12219990 (odds ratio: 0.41; 95% confidence interval 0.28, 0.60; P=3.82 × 10-6) that was significant after correction for multiple testing. CONCLUSION(S): Increasing African ancestry is associated with multiple fibroids but not with fibroid size. Local ancestry analyses identified several novel genomic regions not previously associated with fibroid number and increasing volume. Future studies are needed to explore the genetic impact that ancestry plays into the development of fibroid characteristics.

Efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided high intensity focused ultrasound ablation of symptomatic uterine fibroids in Black women: a preliminary study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the therapeutic effect and safety of ultrasound-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (USgHIFU) treatment on symptomatic uterine fibroids in Black women. DESIGN: A feasibility study. SETTING: Gynaecological department in a teaching hospital in South Africa. POPULATION: Premenopausal women with uterus fibroids. METHODS: Twenty-six patients with 53 fibroids who underwent USgHIFU treatment were enrolled. The USgHIFU treatment information was recorded, including treatment time, sonication time and total energy. Adverse events were also observed and recorded during and after treatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Safety and efficacy of USgHIFU for the treatment of uterine fibroids in Black women. RESULTS: The median volume of fibroids was 52.7 (interquartile range, 18.6-177.4) cm3 . According to USgHIFU treatment plan, total energy of 298.6 ± 169.3 kJ (range, 76.0-889.2) within treatment time of 90.3 ± 43.3 minutes (range, 14.0-208.0), in which sonication time of 774.0 ± 432.9 seconds (range, 190.0-2224.0) was used to ablate fibroids. The average ablation rate was 80.6 ± 9.7% (range, 46.5-94.5%). During the procedure, 69.2% of the patients reported lower abdominal pain, 57.7% sciatic/buttock pain, 38.5% burning skin, and 34.6% transient leg pain. No severe complications were observed. CONCLUSIONS: USgHIFU is feasible and safe to use to treat symptomatic uterine fibroids in Black women. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Multiple uterine fibroids are more frequently detected in Black women. USgHIFU is feasible and safe for the treatment of uterine fibroids in Black women.