Overview: Fibroids

Fibroids are benign (noncancerous) growths in the smooth muscle tissue of the walls of the uterus, or womb. They can be as small as a pea or grow larger than a grapefruit.

Fibroids are extremely common: by age 50, approximately 80% of African-American women and approximately 70% of Caucasian women will have had fibroids.

Common symptoms of fibroids

While 50-80% of fibroids show no symptoms, depending on their size, number and location, fibroids can lead to more serious symptoms including: