Diagnosing and Managing Uterine Fibroids and Endometriosis: The State of the Art

Announcer:
Welcome to CME on ReachMD. This activity, entitled “Diagnosing and Managing Uterine Fibroids and Endometriosis: The State of the Art” is provided by Omnia Education.

Prior to beginning the activity, please be sure to review the faculty and commercial support disclosure statements as well as the learning objectives. 

Dr. Plowden:
Endometriosis and uterine fibroids can profoundly impact patients’ lives, especially if left untreated or undermanaged. Diagnostic delays remain common, particularly in women of color, despite the considerable pain, reduced quality of life, and infertility that can be associated with these conditions. We at the REIG branch of the NIH believe that women's healthcare clinicians require state of the art information to effectively improve patient care. Earlier diagnosis can lead to earlier intervention, and where appropriate, management approaches specifically tailored to patients who desire uterine preservation or future fertility. Thus, it is critical that clinicians be educated on the latest research on the risk and benefits of these management approaches for endometriosis and uterine fibroids.

Uterine fibroids affect up to 40% of women of reproductive age, and sometimes more women depending on what resource you read.

This is ReachMD, and I'm Dr. Torie Comeaux Plowden. I'm pleased to introduce to you Sateria Venable, a real patient who is also the founder and CEO of the Fibroid Foundation. She’ll highlight why this educational initiative is so important.

Sateria Venable:
The Fibroid Foundation is a global women's health nonprofit. It’s patient founded, and we are based right down the road from NIH in the Rockville, Maryland, area.

Oftentimes, patients have suffered in silence for a long time prior to being diagnosed or have been misdiagnosed. They have led lives where they've tried to fight through the symptoms and really press on through work and community and family obligations where they are really suffering.

Another thing I'd like to note is that oftentimes patients don't know the terms fibroids and endometriosis. So if our provider community could take that extra time and care to really explain what those diagnoses are, that would really facilitate a better conversation at the provider's office.

A lot of our work centers in educating our community on treatment options. During our COMPARE-UF research study, we learned that hysterectomy is recommended overwhelmingly in the southeast United States and in communities of color. That was shocking to me, and it also bolstered our efforts to make sure that there's a more balanced approach to care.

We all know that there have been newly approved GnRH antagonists, which have provided a huge new pathway to treatment for fibroids and endometriosis. And there are hormonal therapies as well. And our hope is that these therapies will be integrated into the treatment plan throughout providers’ offices.

I'd like to thank you all for having me today for the patient perspective. It's greatly appreciated.

Dr. Plowden:
As a healthcare community, it's critical that we act now to directly address the most frequent gynecological disorders that occur in reproductive-age women. The Reproductive Endocrinology, Infertility, and Gynecology branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development has developed a continuing medical education initiative that expands beyond the basic and clinical research that has earned us national recognition as leaders in comprehending the basic biology and physiology of normal and abnormal menstrual function.

In the following episodes, we’ll comprehensively examine the important issues surrounding the diagnosis and management of uterine fibroids and endometriosis.

We must be proactive. Through proper diagnosis and appropriate treatment, we can minimize the physical, mental, and socioeconomic effects of endometriosis and uterine fibroids. Let's work together to help our patients achieve the best outcomes possible while continuing to lead full and productive lives.

Unfortunately, that's all the time we have today. So I hope that we have left you with a sense of urgency and a desire to take action. Thank you for listening.

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