Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, Fortis La Femme, New Delhi
Part 9 of 9 in Prevalence, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment of Uterine Fibroids
Lifestyle, Diet and Common Myths About Uterine Fibroids
December 14, 2025
Alongside medical and surgical treatment, lifestyle changes can help manage fibroid symptoms, particularly for women whose symptoms are not severe.
Exercise, diet and stress management
Maintaining a healthy weight through exercise and diet is important, since fat tissue itself produces additional estrogen that can worsen fibroid growth. An anti-inflammatory diet rich in fibre, cereals, fruits and vegetables, with less caffeine, alcohol and no smoking, is recommended, along with stress management through yoga, deep breathing or meditation, since stress raises cortisol levels that can disrupt hormonal balance.
Separating the myths from the facts
Three myths come up repeatedly. The first is that fibroids always turn into cancer: in reality they are almost always benign, and a cancerous change, called leiomyosarcoma, occurs in less than 1 in 1,000 fibroids. The second is that all fibroids need treatment: many are asymptomatic and can simply be followed, and smaller fibroids under 5 centimetres often shrink on their own after menopause as hormone levels fall. The third is that hysterectomy is the only cure: while it is the definitive cure, medical management, minimally invasive procedures and myomectomy all offer effective alternatives depending on a woman's symptoms, fibroid characteristics and fertility goals.
This article is based on a Jivo Masterclass session conducted by Dr. Supriya Malhotra, Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, Fortis La Femme, New Delhi. The article has been summarised with the assistance of an AI tool from the original masterclass recording. Watch the full Masterclass recording
Looking for a diagnosis or a second opinion on uterine fibroids? Get in touch with the Jivo team
This guide is based on a live Jivo Masterclass — Dr. Supriya Malhotra taught doctors across Africa on December 14, 2025.
FROM THE LIVE Q&A
Dr. Isaya (Tanzania)
Is there any possibility of targeted gene therapy for fibroids, and how do you see the future of blocking the hormones that drive their growth?
Dr. Supriya Malhotra
There is a genetic predisposition, but no definitive targeted gene therapy exists yet, largely because the exact cause is still not fully known beyond the working assumption that estrogen and progesterone drive growth, based on the fact that fibroids shrink after menopause. On blocking hormones, this is already happening in a milder form: oral contraceptive pills, which many women take from their late teens into their mid-thirties, work by suppressing internal hormone production, and are safe as long as the patient does not smoke and has no family history of stroke or hypertension.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Mirena IUCD treat fibroids?▼
No, Mirena is an intrauterine contraceptive device that releases a small daily dose of progesterone, and it does not treat the fibroid itself. It helps control the symptoms, mainly heavy bleeding, but the only definitive treatments remain removal by myomectomy or hysterectomy, or one of the minimally invasive procedures.
When do we use Primolut-N in uterine fibroids?▼
Primolut-N is a progesterone, similar in principle to Mirena, and can be given when a patient cannot tolerate a combined estrogen-progesterone pill. It can be taken twice daily from day five to day 25 of the cycle if the patient wants a withdrawal bleed, which will be much lighter and pain-free than a normal period, or continuously if she prefers not to have periods at all.
Is there any way to prevent a fibroid from recurring in a woman who has had a myomectomy and has not been able to conceive for a long time afterward?▼
Recurrence cannot be prevented while a woman is still in her childbearing years, because myomectomy only removes the fibroids that can be seen; the same hormonal environment remains, and small seedling fibroids too tiny to detect at surgery can go on to grow. If a woman has not conceived for a long time after myomectomy, there is no reason to keep waiting: IVF is a reasonable next step rather than continuing to hope for natural conception.
How best can we differentiate a fibroid from a molar pregnancy?▼
Fibroids have a typical whorled appearance on ultrasound, round and well encapsulated. A molar pregnancy shows an erratic collection of cells rather than a defined mass, and hormonal testing helps too: hCG levels rise well beyond what is normal in pregnancy. An ultrasound or MRI clearly distinguishes the two, since fibroids have a characteristic encapsulated, whorled appearance that a molar pregnancy does not.
How long after a myomectomy should a woman expect to be able to conceive?▼
It depends on whether the myometrium was opened. If it was a laparoscopic myomectomy for a subserous, pedunculated fibroid where the myometrium was not opened, pregnancy can usually be attempted after about six months. If the myometrium was opened to remove the fibroid, the advice is to wait one and a half to two years, similar to the healing time given after a previous caesarean section.
Do uterine fibroids always turn into cancer?▼
No. Fibroids are almost always benign; a cancerous change, called leiomyosarcoma, occurs in fewer than 1 in 1,000 cases.
Is hysterectomy the only cure for uterine fibroids?▼
No. While hysterectomy is the definitive cure, medical management, minimally invasive procedures such as uterine artery embolization, and myomectomy all offer effective alternatives depending on a woman's symptoms and fertility goals.
In This Series: Prevalence, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment of Uterine Fibroids
- 1.Uterine Fibroids
- 2.What Are Uterine Fibroids and Who Gets Them
- 3.Recognizing the Symptoms of Uterine Fibroids
- 4.How Uterine Fibroids Are Diagnosed
- 5.Medical Management of Uterine Fibroids
- 6.Uterine Fibroid Embolization and Other Minimally Invasive Options
- 7.Myomectomy vs Hysterectomy: Surgical Treatment for Uterine Fibroids
- 8.Uterine Fibroids in Pregnancy: Risks and Management
- 9.Lifestyle, Diet and Common Myths About Uterine Fibroids