Abstract
Background. Chinese medicine (CM) has been used to relieve symptoms relevant to uterine fibroids. Objective. This study investigated the association between the use of CM and the incidence of uterine surgery in women with uterine fibroids. Subjects and Methods. This retrospective cohort study extracted records for 16,690 subjects diagnosed with a uterine fibroid between 2000 and 2003 from the National Health Insurance reimbursement database. The risk factors for surgery were examined via Cox proportional hazard analysis, and the difference in incidence of surgery between CM users and nonusers was compared using incidence rate ratios (IRRs) derived from Poisson's models. Results. After an average follow-up period of 4.5 years, the cumulative incidence of uterine surgery was significantly lower in CM users than CM nonusers (P < 0.0001). Compared to CM nonusers, CM users were more unlikely to undergo uterine surgery (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.17, 0.19). The incidence of surgery in CM users was dramatically different from that for CM nonusers (IRR = 0.17, 95% CI = 0.16, 0.18). Conclusion. The risk of uterine surgery among fibroid patients who used CM was significantly decreased, implying an effective treatment of fibroid-related symptoms provided by CM.
Highlights
Uterine fibroids, known as leiomyoma, are the most commonly occurring benign tumors of the female reproductive system, with a cumulative incidence of more than 60% in women over the age of 45 years [1]
This study investigated the association between the use of Chinese medicine (CM) and the incidence of uterine surgery in women with uterine fibroids
The risk of uterine surgery among fibroid patients who used CM was significantly decreased, implying an effective treatment of fibroid-related symptoms provided by CM
Summary
Known as leiomyoma, are the most commonly occurring benign tumors of the female reproductive system, with a cumulative incidence of more than 60% in women over the age of 45 years [1]. They are the leading indication for hysterectomy all over the world and are associated with a substantial economic impact on health care systems, including associated costs of $4–9 billion per year in the United States alone [2]. The risk of uterine surgery among fibroid patients who used CM was significantly decreased, implying an effective treatment of fibroid-related symptoms provided by CM
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