Epidemiology of uterine fibroids: From menarche to menopause

Uterine leiomyomata (UL) have a substantial impactonwomen'shealth,butrelativelyfewstudieshave identified opportunities for primary prevention of these neoplasms. Most established risk factors are not modifiable, including premenopausal age, African ancestry, age at menarche, and childbearing history. The main challenge in studying UL is that a large proportion of tumors are asymptomatic. Herein, we review the epidemiology of UL from published studies to date. We highlight the advantages of ultrasound screening studies and the ways in which their innovative methods have helpedclarifythe etiologyofdisease. We conclude with a discussion of promising new hypotheses.