Women should carefully consider alternatives before undergoing hysterectomies, according to a study authored by Harvard Medical School researchers working at the Massachusetts General Hospital.

Hysterectomies are the second most common major operation performed in the U.S. But the authors warn that there is little data on the operation and its common outcomes.

Hysterectomies are often necessary when a woman has a precancerous or a cancerous uterus. But, according to the study published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine, the operation is not mandatory for a variety of other benign conditions such as abnormal uterine growths, known as fibroids, or excessive uterine bleeding.

These conditions may effectively be treated by myomectomy, a surgical procedure in which growths are removed without removal of the uterus, by hormonal treatment, or even by over-the-counter medicines such as aspirin substitutes, the researchers write.

Dr. Karen J. Carlson, one of the article's authors, said in a prepared statement that "when there is little data about an operation, as there is in this case, the woman herself should have a bigger role in decision-making."

All recommended hysterectomy cases at Massachusetts General Hospital are now reviewed to collect necessary data for future studies, said Dr. Isaac Schiff, the paper's senior author.