title: Utility values for pre-menopausal women suffering from symptomatic uterine fibroids.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Uterine fibroids (UF) represent the most common benign uterine tumor in women of reproductive age. Symptoms including heavy, prolonged menstrual bleeding, pelvic pain/pressure, and/or urinary frequency have a substantial impact on women's quality of life and utility values for UF have not been published.
  
  
  METHODS
  Health state descriptions associated with UF symptoms and treatment side effects were developed based on patient focus groups; validated using expert clinical input; and pilot tested for understandability. Using a web-based questionnaire, 909 community-dwelling, Canadian women were surveyed to assess their perceived value associated with these states.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Utility for uncontrolled bleeding was 0.55 (95% CI: 0.54, 0.57) and the decrement associated with hot flashes was 0.06 (95% CI: -0.07, -0.04). Utility improvement associated with bleeding control was 0.18 (95% CI: 0.17, 0.19) and with smaller fibroid size was 0.03 (95% CI: 0.02, 0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These values illustrate the high utility associated with control of excessive menstrual bleeding.
authors.affiliation: ICON Health Economics, 235 Yorkland Boulevard, Toronto, Ontario M2J4Y8, Canada.
authors.forename: Marg
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hux
authors.forename: Carita
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Greta Lozano
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Ortega
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ferrazzi
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Goeree
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D017697:Premenopause; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014592:Uterine Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: pre-menopausal; quality of life; symptomatic; uterine fibroids; utility