Describing the Patient Journey of Women with Claims for Uterine Fibroids and Heavy Menstrual Bleeding Using a Commercial Database (2011–2020)

INTRODUCTION: This retrospective database claims analysis describes the clinical characteristics and treatment patterns of commercially insured United States women with uterine fibroids (UF) and heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB). METHODS: Women age 18–55 years with an incident UF diagnosis (index date) between 1/1/2012 and 12/31/2019 and ≥1 claim for HMB (UF-HMB), were identified from the Optum(®) Clinformatics(®) database. Outcomes included clinical characteristics, pharmacologic therapy use, and surgeries/procedures. Regression models were used to identify factors associated with time to post-diagnosis hormonal therapy and hysterectomy. RESULTS: A total of 85,428 women had UF-HMB (mean [SD] age, 43.7 [6.4] years). The median follow-up was 3.2 years. After HMB, the most common symptoms were pelvic pressure/pain (27.6%) and backache (17.5%). Within 6 months of UF diagnosis, 40.2% of patients had received only pharmacologic therapy; 25.5% had received no treatment; 24.3% had a hysterectomy, and 10.0% had other procedures. By the end of follow-up, 50.0% had received a hysterectomy. Multiple factors were predictive of a higher likelihood of receiving hormonal therapy (geographic region, infertility, pre-index pregnancy) or hysterectomy (older age, prior hormonal treatment, specific bulk symptoms, White race). CONCLUSION: Within 6 months of UF diagnosis, fewer than one-half of women with UF-HMB had received hormonal therapy, one-quarter received no treatment, and one-quarter had received a hysterectomy or another gynecologic procedure. Patients who received a hysterectomy were more likely to be older, White, and to have bulk symptoms.