Last summer, Academy Award-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o revealed that she had 30 fibroids removed via myomectomy not long after winning her Oscar in 2014. She advocated for increased funding and research on Capitol Hill late last year. Now, twelve years later, in an interview with Today, the Kenyan-Mexican beauty has shared that her fibroids have returned, and she now has 50 of them.
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What are Uterine Fibroids?
According to the Mayo Clinic, “Uterine fibroids are common growths of the uterus. They often appear during the years you’re usually able to get pregnant and give birth. Uterine fibroids are not cancer, and they almost never turn into cancer. They aren’t linked with a higher risk of other types of cancer in the uterus either. They’re also called leiomyomas (lie-o-my-O-muhs) or myomas.”
You can have one or several, and they can vary in size from microscopic to the size of a grapefruit or even larger.
Nyong’o Tried to be Proactive to Prevent Recurrence
In her interview with Hoda Kotb, the 42-year-old said of her initial diagnosis, “I asked my doctor what caused them, and he didn’t have an answer. I asked him what I could do to treat them, and all I was offered was surgery,” the actress explained.
At the time of her initial diagnosis, Nyong’o chose surgery. But she also inquired about what she could do to prevent them from coming back. “And he said, it is only a matter of time.”
She shared the statistics that 80% of women have fibroids by age 50. “And now, I have double the amount of fibroids, and I am still being offered the same options,” the Black Panther actress said.
The Truth About Fibroid Recurrence
According to an article in the journal PLoS One, 50% of women who seek non-surgical treatments elect to have surgery within 24 months. “Around 15–33% of fibroids recur after myomectomy, and around 10%-21% of women undergo a hysterectomy within five to ten years.”
The Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology recently reported the statistics around Black women and fibroid tumor recurrence. In the cohort of over 900 patients studied, the overall UF recurrence rate was 44%. “Black patients had an increased rate of UF recurrence versus NH White patients (40 vs 28%).”
“Among Black patients, the median time to recurrence was 683 days, compared to 709 days among White patients.” The researchers concluded that we have a higher risk of recurrence and a shorter time to recurrence.
Nyong’o’s Advice
During the interview, Kotb and Nyong’o discussed the impact uterine fibroids have on women. The author shared that she felt shame and loneliness. But other symptoms, like living with physical pain, can’t be ignored. They also discussed how fibroids can affect fertility.
Kotb asked her what advice she would offer to women who are experiencing uterine fibroids and their symptoms.
- Get a second opinion
- Don’t accept a hysterectomy as the first resort
Nyong’o is raising funds for research to develop less invasive treatments through the MakeFibroidsCount campaign. Speaking up about her experiences has made Nyong’o feel less alone.
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