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Fibroids—Who Is at Risk?
Posted: May 1, 2007
Uterine fibroids are tumors or growths, made up of muscle cells and other tissues that grow within the wall of the uterus (or womb). Although fibroids are sometimes called tumors, they are almost always benign (not cancerous).
More research is being done to figure out who is at risk for fibroids. But it is known that:
- Most of the time, fibroids grow in women of childbearing age.
- African American women are more likely to get them than women of other racial groups.
- African American women tend to get fibroids at a younger age than do other women.
- Women who are overweight or obese also are at a slightly higher risk for fibroids than women who are not overweight.
- Women who have given birth appear to be at a lower risk for fibroids.
Where can fibroids grow?
Doctors put fibroids into three groups based on where they grow, such as just underneath the lining of the uterus, in between the muscles of the uterus, or on the outside of the uterus. Most fibroids grow within the wall of the uterus. Some fibroids grow on stalks (called peduncles) that grow out from the surface of the uterus, or into the cavity of the uterus.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health
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