The conversation and question that occurred right after the presentation was so great! Not only did the women ask such great questions, but even some of the males in the audience asked some great questions too. It was also really encouraging to hear a few of the women sharing their stories with everyone letting them know what they had been through.

For a list of fibroid education events (that we know of) please visit here. And, if you ever hear about an education event that you think other women should hear about, send us an email with the details (info@fibroidrelief.org) so that we can post it to our website!

So reported Gina Hesley, M.D., an interventional radiologist at Mayo, who is studying the long-term effectiveness of Focused Ultrasound treatments for uterine fibroids. She presented her findings at the Society of Interventional Radiology’s 35th Annual Scientific Meeting in Tampa.

The Mayo study is following 119 patients, 89 of whom provided feedback during telephone interviews a year after their procedures. Each will be interviewed again on the second and third anniversaries of their procedures.

While the results are promising, Hesley cautioned, longer-term effectiveness of the focused ultrasound treatment needs continued study. In an interview for this newsletter, Hesley detailed her research and its potential implications.

Q. How is this study contributing to the overall field of uterine fibroid treatments?

Hesley: It’s demonstrating that patients are satisfied with the treatment, have acceptable relief of their symptoms and that the treatment is as durable as therapies such as Uterine Artery Embolization (UAE) or myomectomy.

Q. In what ways could the study advance clinical applications of Focused Ultrasound technology?

Hesley: It could demonstrate to patients, clinicians and insurance providers that this is an acceptable treatment option for women with uterine fibroids.

Q. What are you doing to ensure that a statistically significant number of patients participate in your 24-month and 36-month follow-ups?

Hesley: It is difficult to maintain contact with all patients as they move, change jobs, etc. We have a dedicated patient coordinator who speaks with the patients from their initial phone call throughout their years of follow-up. This aids in patient retention.

Q. 8% of study participants required additional treatments. What treatments did they receive and why?

Hesley: Six received hysterectomies and two had myomectomies due to continued fibroid symptoms. Eight percent is within values reported for UAE and myomectomy.

Q. What framework/specific reference will you use to compare your results with MR-guided FUS with those reported for UAE and myomectomy?

Hesley: We will compare the need for alternative treatments and improvement in patient symptoms.

Q. What other Focused Ultrasound research are you conducting or planning?

Hesley: We are involved in evaluating the clinical utility of the ExAblate 2000 device and long-term treatment outcomes in comparison with other treatment options, especially UAE. We are currently conducting a NIH study comparing Focused Ultrasound and UAE. We are also involved in improving fibroid imaging options that would aid in fibroid characterization, patient selection and treatment assessment.

Looking toward the future, we are interested in treating patients with adenomyosis specifically. Adenomyosis is a condition in which tissue that normally lines the uterus also grows within the muscular walls of the uterus.

Q. How long have you been using Focused Ultrasound to treat uterine fibroids?

Hesley: Since July 2002 when I became involved in the Phase 2 clinical trial for ExAblate 2000 device. I now treat 50-80 patients with Focused Ultrasound annually.

Q. Why did you become interested in Focused Ultrasound?

Hesley: It’s nice for women to have a variety of treatment options to manage their fibroid symptoms. This is an excellent option for many women offering them a non-invasive and safe but effective treatment alternative.

“Better patients make better doctors” - People are often hesitant to challenge their doctor, but a good patient is someone who raises her hand and says “I don’t understand this” or “This isn’t working for me.” Your physician will be able to take the knowledge she gains from your open, honest dialogue and pass it on to the next person she treats.

This is something we at Fibroid Relief have always encouraged women to do. To take an active role in their care. To have an open and honest discussion with their physician, and to know that it is OK to say, I’m not sure that this is the best thing for me. We are so glad to see Dr. Oz giving this advice to women also!

Erin appeared on the April 9 segment about uterine fibroids. She shared her story about living with the condition and being successfully treated with Focused Ultrasound. The segment will be archived online on www.thedoctorstv.com.

Erin also served as a panelist at the Fibroid Relief At Last event on April 27, a free, public information event sponsored by Fibroid Relief in Los Angeles. Other panelists include UCLA clinicians and a naturopathic physician.

“It was exciting to have Erin with us,” Krall adds. “Women who are struggling with uterine fibroids really appreciated hearing from someone who has walked in their shoes. Erin does a beautiful job of sharing her story and connecting with the audience.”

The LA event was the third in a series of programs designed to educate women about uterine fibroids and current treatment options, including focused ultrasound. Previous events were held in 2009 in Chicago and London.

The study showed that out of 119 patients that were treated with Focused Ultrasound, 97% reported improvement in their symptoms, and 90% reporting their improvement as either considerable or excellent.

To read more, click here.

The event will be held on  April 27th, 2010 at 6:00pm at the Marriott Marina del Ray - Bayview Ballroom and Patio. There will be a panel of expert speakers including:

Dr. Chris Tarnay (Gynecologist)
Dr. Michael Johnson (Gynecologist)
Dr. Steve Raman (Focused Ultrasound)
Dr. Cheryl Hoffman (Uterine Fibroid Embolization)
Sarah Murphy N.D. (Holistic Medicine)
Erin S. (Patient Advocate who will share her story)

During this broadcast, Dr. Stewart talks about symptoms, treatments and potential side effects of uterine fibroids.

Click here to listen!

“Fibroids are the most common reason women undergo hysterectomies; 300,000 are done each year just to remove them. All told, the cost of treating fibroids exceeds $21 billion a year, and that does not include the price millions of women pay in diminished quality of life…After reviewing possible treatments, with a hysterectomy described as the only sure cure, my friend decided against all of them.”

To read the article in its entirety, follow this link.

During the event there were approximately 75 patients, along with 4 spouses/significant others. The pictures that were taken can be found on our facebook page. We would like to thank our speakers: Dr. Sue Zaher, Professor Leslie Regan, Dr. Mo Hamady, and Professor Gedis Grudzinskas. We would also like to thank Shirley Coombs for sharing a patient view on fibroids and fibroid treatments.

If you are interested in finding out about other Fibroid Relief news, or if you wish to receive updates on other Fibroid Relief At Last events that may be coming to an area near you, please sign up to receive our newsletter. We have also included (below) the contact information for the MR Therapy Centre at St. Mary’s Hospital for anybody interested in pursuing Fibroid Treatments there. For a list of alternative treatment locations, visit our Treatment Centers page.

To contact the MR Therapy Centre you can call 0207 886 7605 or email reception@mrtherapycentre.com. Alternatively, you can visit their website at www.mrtherapycentre.com.

Catherine goes on to speak about how she found out about the non-invasive treatment, Focused Ultrasound, that was being offered at St. Mary’s hospital in London, England. She also speaks about Focused Ultrasound itself and her life since having the treatment.

To read the entire story, click here. To find a list of other Focused Ultrasound treatment centers, follow the Treatment Centers link.