Cancer or fibroids: When does a woman need her uterus removed — and when can it be saved? UAE doctors explain

It saved her life, and it came at a price.

But what's the price, when you're alive, asks Dubai-based mum Susanna (name changed on request). She recalls her daughter having excruciatingly painful menstrual cycles for years, and doctors had put it down to PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). Yet, as she grew into her thirties, the pain grew more severe and for months they kept undergoing tests and scans, with each prognosis seemingly more worrying than the previous, till the doctors noted that there was a strong chance of cancer, and one option, was hysterectomy.

"The thought of cancer scared her," recalls Susanna. And so her daughter decided to go for the surgery instead, and didn't wish to review the different options. "She doesn't regret her decision, she feels that it was the only recourse available back then." She might or might not have had cancer, but she didn't want to live in the uncertainty.

It raises a bigger question for women facing a hysterectomy: When does removing the uterus become necessary, and when might there be another option?

For a woman diagnosed with uterine cancer, removing the uterus could be a central part of treatment. For another woman struggling with debilitating bleeding, fibroids, adenomyosis or endometriosis, it may eventually offer definitive relief. Yet, a diagnosis of fibroids or heavy periods does not automatically mean the uterus needs to be removed.

The decision to undergo a hysterectomy, surgery to remove the uterus, depends on the underlying condition, how severe the symptoms are, what treatments have already been tried and, importantly, what the woman wants for her future.

So when does removing the uterus become necessary? And when might doctors consider preserving it?

When endometrial cancer is caught while still confined to the uterus, hysterectomy is usually where treatment begins, and, for many women, where it ends.

Dr Rajul Matkar specialist obstetrician and gynaecologist at Dubai London Clinic and Speciality Hospital, explains that the procedure is usually performed alongside removal of the fallopian tubes and ovaries, although the exact operation depends on the woman's age, cancer type, stage, risk profile and other individual factors. The lymph-node assessment might also be carried out, if appropriate.

As Dr Matkar notes, the important is that cancer surgery, is not the same decision as a hysterectomy for a benign condition. In cancer, removing the uterus may be necessary to remove the primary tumour and accurately stage the disease. Additional treatment, radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy or immunotherapy, may follow, depending on the cancer's stage and biology.

Even with uterine cancer, though, treatment isn't identical for every woman. In select cases, fertility-sparing hormonal treatment can be considered, for example, in carefully chosen younger women with low-grade, early endometrial cancer who strongly desire future fertility. This approach isn't appropriate for everyone; it requires specialist assessment, close surveillance and a clear understanding of the risks.

Dr Manar Jabbar Hussein, Specialist in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Medcare Women and Children Hospital, echoes this: For many women with uterine cancer, particularly endometrial cancer confined to the uterus, hysterectomy is central to treatment, typically alongside removal of the fallopian tubes and ovaries, though the specifics depend on age, cancer type, stage, risk profile and individual circumstances.

Still, she stresses, there's no universal treatment. "Some very early, low-risk cancers may be managed differently in carefully selected women, particularly those who strongly wish to preserve fertility."

However, if the cancer is advanced and at a higher-risk, surgery may be combined with radiotherapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy or other systemic treatments. "The important point," Dr Hussein says, "is that treatment should be based on the cancer's biology and stage rather than a one-size-fits-all approach."

Cancer, though, is far from the only reason a woman may end up on the operating table for a hysterectomy. The surgery is also weighed for large or symptomatic fibroids, adenomyosis, severe endometriosis, persistent heavy menstrual bleeding, uterine prolapse, and certain forms of chronic pelvic pain that have resisted other treatment.

As the doctors explain, some precancerous conditions, atypical endometrial hyperplasia among them, can also bring hysterectomy into the conversation. And on rare occasions, the procedure becomes necessary for severe or life-threatening uterine conditions where no other treatment will do.

What makes hysterectomy different from nearly every other option on the table is its finality: once the uterus is removed, menstrual bleeding stops for good, and pregnancy is no longer possible. It is, in that sense, definitive. But definitive is not the same as best, not for every woman, and not for every diagnosis.

Hysterectomy is considered definitive because once the uterus is removed, menstrual bleeding from the uterus stops and pregnancy is no longer possible. But definitive doesn't automatically mean best for everyone.

For a benign disease, Dr Matkar says the decision should weigh the woman's symptoms, diagnosis, age, reproductive plans, previous treatments, anatomical findings, cancer risk, quality-of-life impact, and, crucially, her own priorities.

A fibroid diagnosis alone does not mean a hysterectomy is necessary. Treatment depends heavily on the size, number and location of the fibroids, and on the symptoms they cause.

As Dr Matkar explains, depending on the situation, options can include medication to control bleeding, a progestin-releasing IUD, tranexamic acid, hysteroscopic removal of cavity-distorting fibroids, myomectomy, uterine artery embolisation and radiofrequency ablation. A myomectomy removes the fibroids while retaining the uterus; uterine artery embolisation reduces blood supply to fibroids so they shrink, offering an alternative to hysterectomy for appropriately selected women.

The real question, then, isn't simply whether fibroids are present, it's how severely they're affecting the woman, and which treatment fits her particular case.

Adenomyosis can cause heavy periods, painful periods and chronic pelvic pain. Depending on severity and reproductive goals, medical treatment, hormonal therapy and pain relief, is often tried first, with uterine artery embolisation another possible option for selected women.

Hysterectomy becomes more compelling when symptoms are severe, persistent and significantly affecting quality of life despite appropriate treatment, particularly once childbearing is complete.

Hussein says hysterectomy may be considered for several non-cancerous conditions, including large or symptomatic fibroids, adenomyosis, severe endometriosis, persistent heavy menstrual bleeding and certain uterine prolapse conditions. "It is generally considered when symptoms are significantly affecting a woman's quality of life, other appropriate treatments have failed or are unsuitable, and the woman does not wish to retain her uterus or future fertility."

In some situations, she notes, hysterectomy may offer the most definitive solution, for example, when severe adenomyosis is causing ongoing pain and heavy bleeding despite other treatments."

Endometriosis calls for different reasoning, explains Dr Matkar, because the condition occurs outside the uterus, meaning a hysterectomy does not simply 'cure' it. Medication and conservative surgery to remove endometriotic tissue are typically considered first.

For women with severe, persistent symptoms who have exhausted other treatment and don't wish to become pregnant, hysterectomy may be considered a last-resort option. Even then, treatment must also address the disease outside the uterus.

Heavy menstrual bleeding should never lead automatically to hysterectomy. The first step is establishing why the bleeding is happening. First of all, as May Chalhoub, a licensed clinical dietitian at Valeo Health explains, abnormal or heavy bleeding gets written off as 'just my hormones' far too often, when it can also signal fibroids, polyps, or something that needs urgent investigation. "Persistent pelvic pain gets normalized as "hormonal cramping" when it may point to endometriosis or an ovarian cyst that needs imaging," she says.

And so, depending on the cause, treatment can include medication, hormonal contraception or an IUD, treatment of fibroids or polyps, and selected procedures such as endometrial ablation or uterine artery embolisation. Hysterectomy is generally considered only when other treatments have failed, are unsuitable, or when the underlying condition makes definitive surgery the most appropriate option.

"The appropriate alternative depends on the condition and the woman's circumstances," Hussein says.

Options can include medication to reduce bleeding or pain, hormonal treatments such as the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system, and non-hormonal medicines such as tranexamic acid or anti-inflammatory medication where appropriate.

For fibroids, procedures like uterine artery embolisation or targeted surgical removal may come into play, depending on size, number and location. For endometriosis and adenomyosis, treatment often focuses first on controlling pain and bleeding with medication or hormonal therapies, with minimally invasive surgery reserved for specific lesions or complications.

For many women, the decision is also whether removing the uterus is the safest, most effective option compared with the alternatives.

Dr Matkar recommends working through a set of questions before deciding:

Hussein frames it similarly: "A calculated decision about hysterectomy should start with a clear diagnosis and an honest discussion about what the woman wants to achieve." Her suggested questions: How much are my symptoms affecting my daily life? Have reasonable alternatives been tried? Do I want future pregnancies? What are the potential benefits and risks of surgery?

For some women, hysterectomy is essential. For others, it's one option among several.

Dr Matkar puts it plainly: hysterectomy can be life-saving and life-changing at once. For a woman with uterine cancer, it may be an essential part of treatment. For a woman with debilitating benign disease that hasn't responded to other approaches, it may offer definitive relief. "But the uterus should not be removed simply because a woman is older, has completed her family, or has a common benign condition."

Moreover, it's also persistent or unexplained symptoms should not simply be written off as hormonal changes. Abnormal bleeding, heavy periods or ongoing pelvic pain can have several possible causes, from fibroids and adenomyosis to endometriosis, polyps or, in some cases, conditions that require more urgent investigation.

As May Chalhoub, licensed clinical dietitian at Valeo Health, noted: “The takeaway isn't that hormones don't matter. It's that a symptom alone can't tell you which system is responsible for it.”

For women facing the possibility of a hysterectomy, that distinction matters. The decision should begin with understanding exactly what is causing the symptoms, whether cancer or precancer has been ruled out where appropriate, what treatments are available, and what the woman wants for her future.

A hysterectomy can be life-saving. But when the condition is benign, removing the uterus is not automatically the only , or best, answer.