Prevention of uterine fibroids: Molecular mechanisms and potential clinical application

•Uterine fibroids are the most common benign tumor to women of reproductive age with no clear pathomechanism.•Current medical therapies are designed to blunt the stimulatory effects of gonadal steroid hormones on uterine fibroids growth. Therefore they are contraindicated in women actively pursuing a pregnancy and are otherwise approved only for short-term use due to long-term safety concerns.•Deeper insights regarding tumor etiology are the key for developing newer therapeutic/preventive therapies.•SWE can be used as a screening tool with subsequent prevention strategies for women at risk of uterine fibroids development.•SWE can be used to monitor response to medical therapy in patients with symptomatic uterine fibroids.