Uterine leiomyoma: understanding the impact of symptoms on womens' lives.
BACKGROUND
Most women report negative experience about the symptoms of uterine leiomyoma (UL) in their lives, such as abnormal uterine bleeding and pelvic pain. Many studies have been conducted about efficacy of UL treatment, but little research has been performed about womens health related quality of life (HRQL).


METHODS
This is a semi-structured, descriptive, observational, qualitative study that was performed during eight months. Focus group (FG) interviews were performed with women attending at a tertiary hospital in Brazil, who were consecutively included in the study. Seventy women with symptomatic UL were recruited to this study. FG duration was one hour with mediators with 5-6 women at each group. Collected data from discussions was processed according to thematic analysis and stored at a qualitative software.


RESULTS
Women were negatively influenced by the presence of symptomatic UL. The major themes that were noticed during analysis were: beliefs and attitudes towards UL; limitation to social and professional activities; sensation of fear/unfairness/discouragement towards the symptoms and adverse effects during treatment with GnRH analogs.


CONCLUSIONS
Symptomatic UL has a negative impact on womens HRQL. Health providers should consider such impact when counseling women on their treatment options, since it may have an important influence in these patients' decision-making process. While current pharmacological treatments may improve disease specific outcomes, such as bleeding intensity and tumor volume, they fail on actually improving quality of life.
Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes, 3900, 8th floor, Monte Alegre, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil. lgobrito@gmail.com.
Luiz Gustavo Oliveira
LG
Brito
Marislei Sanches
MS
Panobianco
Maurício Mesquita
MM
Sabino-de-Freitas
Hermes de Freitas
Hde F
Barbosa
George Dantas
GD
de Azevedo
Luciane Maria Oliveira
LM
Brito
Francisco José
FJ
Candido-Dos-Reis
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001938:Brazil; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D008599:Menstruation Disturbances / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D010146:Pain / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life