New Insights into Molecular Pathogenesis of Uterine Fibroids: From the Lab to a Clinician-Friendly Review

Abstract

Uterine fibroids (UFs) (also known as leiomyomas or myomas) are the most common form of benign uterine tumors, affecting 70–80% of women over their lifetime. Although uterine fibroids (UFs) are benign, these lesions cause significant morbidity and represent a major public health concern in reproductive age women. It has been hypothesized that leiomyomas arise from clonal proliferation of a single myometrial cell due to an initial genetic insult. However, these early cytogenetic alterations are insufficient for tumor development. In recent years, many advances have been made in the understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of uterine fibroids, and aberrations in several complex signaling pathways have shown to be involved in myoma development. In addition, most of these altered signaling cascades converge in a summative way, making the understanding of myoma biology even more complex. In this chapter, we focus on integrating this new knowledge in a simpler way to make it friendly to the general gynecologist.