What to do if a 48-year-old has a 8cm uterine fibroid

Uterine fibroids are the most common benign tumors in the female genitalia, and are common in women aged 30-50. Patients around 48 years old are usually in the perimenopausal period. Uterine fibroids of 8 cm can be divided into two situations: untreated and treated:

1. No treatment:

Patients around 48 years old who have no obvious symptoms do not need treatment. Uterine fibroids can shrink or disappear after menopause and need to be followed up every 3-6 months.

2. Treatment:

For patients with uterine fibroids of 8 cm, 20%-50% of patients experience menstrual changes such as increased menstrual volume, prolonged menstruation, shortened cycle, irregular vaginal bleeding, as well as symptoms such as anemia, increased leucorrhea, lower abdominal pain, and backache. At this time, treatment can be considered. There are mainly two treatment methods:

1. Drug treatment: Suitable for patients with mild symptoms, menopausal or poor systemic symptoms, and not suitable for surgery. Mifepristone can be used as a preoperative drug or menopausal medication, but after mifepristone counteracts progesterone, the endometrium is stimulated by estrogen for a long time, and the risk of pathological changes increases. Long-term use is not recommended;

2. Surgical treatment: Patients who need to retain their fertility can undergo hysterectomy, but there is a possibility of residual and recurrence after surgery. Patients who do not require fertility need to undergo cervical cytology before hysterectomy to rule out the possibility of endometrial cancer. If the patient cannot tolerate or is unwilling to undergo surgery, uterine artery embolization, high-energy focused ultrasound, endometrial resection, etc. are feasible, but they are not mainstream treatment options, there is a certain possibility of residual and recurrence, and the effect varies from person to person.