Low Doses of Mifepristone May Treat Leiomyoma

Filed in archive Drugs, Vaccines and Therapeutics on December 28, 2006

Low doses of mifepristone shrink uterine Fibroid tumors also referred to as leiomyoma, which are non-cancerous tumors that may lead to iron-deficiency anemia resulting from excessively heavy menstrual bleeding.

The University of Rochester study is the first randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial of mifepristone, also known as RU-486, to establish that it can be safely used at low doses to treat uterine fibroids.

[snip] Hemoglobin levels went up in the treatment group from 12.0 to 13.5 g/DL, compared to a decrease in hemoglobin levels in the placebo group. At the start of the study, 11 of 22 women (50 percent) in the mifepristone group were anemic, but after six months of treatment only 2 or 22 women (9 percent) were anemic. In the placebo group anemia rose, with 9 of 22 women (45 percent) anemic at the start of the study, and 12 of 22 women (60 percent) anemic after six months.

Mifepristone has also been previously shown to prevent cancer in a rat model. However, a few deaths have also been reported among women taking this drug at much higher doses. Authors suggest that a large multicenter trials may be necessary to further evaluate the safety and potentials of this drug against leiomyoma and its symptoms.

[Source: Univ of Rochester Medical Center, Photo: Uterine-Fibroids.org ]