Published August 01, 2012- Reuters

Young women who have a minimally invasive treatment for uterine fibroids are more likely to have a recurrence than older women are, a new study finds.

Fibroids are non-cancerous growths that form from muscle cells and other tissue in the wall of the uterus.

In the new study, Italian researchers looked at long-term results from one fibroid treatment option: uterine artery embolization, in which tiny particles are injected into blood vessels leading to the uterus, cutting off the fibroids’ blood supply and shrinking them.

They found that of 176 women treated with embolization, the “clinical failure” rate was 18 percent over seven years.

That meant that the women’s symptoms came back after initially getting better — typically after three years.

And women age 40 or younger accounted for a large share of those recurrences: They were almost six times more likely to see their symptoms come back, versus women who underwent embolization after age 40. (more…)