Fibroids that do not cause symptoms, are small, or occur in a woman approaching menopause, often do not require treatment. Patients with fibroids should have regular checkups. If troubled with symptoms, they should consult a doctor sooner. If a patient can not put up with the symptoms and the discomfort, then surgical treatment should be considered.
There is no medical treatment that can be used in order to shrink fibroids. Fibroids can only be treated effectively by removing them with surgery. Drugs, such as gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists, can only be used to shrink fibroids temporarily before surgery and they can not be used for long-term as they may have serious side-effects. The fibroids may be removed with myomectomy or hysterectomy. The choice of treatment depends on patient’s age and wishes.