Uterine fibroids are known by many names, including uterine myoma, leioma, fibroma, fibromyoma, or as hysteromyoma; these are equivalent designations for benign growths of smooth muscle tissue in the uterine wall. Occasionally, the fibroid grows outside the uterine wall as an "exterior" mass in the abdominal cavity. The fibroid masses occur in about 20% of women over the age of 20, with most frequent occurrence between ages 35 and 45 (affecting 40% of women in this age range). However, the fibroids frequently go unnoticed until they grow rapidly during a peri-menopausal phase around age 41-45. Most often, fibroids decline substantially with menopause. The strategy for non-surgical treatment is to limit the size and symptoms of the fibroid(s) until spontaneous shrinkage occurs with menopause, typically just a few years after the initial diagnosis. Only 10-20% of fibroid cases require surgery; interventions such as Chinese medicine may remove the need for surgery in some of these cases, especially if treated early.