Fibroids are a benign tumor of the uterus. They are not cancers. However, they do have a rich blood supply and cause bleeding and pain. Fibroids are also known by the names LEIOMYOMA UTERI, LEIOMYOMA, or MYOMA.
They are an extremely important public health issue, especially for women, because:
Fibroids are the most common tumor that grows in the pelvis of women
50 - 80% of women have fibroids
Fibroids are the most common indication for hysterectomy (the most frequently performed major surgical proceedure in the U.S.)
Fibroids are responsible for at least 1/3 of admissions of women to a gynocological hospital service
Every year there are 500,000 - 600,000 hysterectomies performed in the U.S. at a cost of four billion dollars. At least 30% of this cost is due to fibroids.
http://www.gynalternatives.com/fibroids.htm