Uterine leiomyoma is a common tumor of smooth muscle cell origin often characterized by the presence of a balanced t(12;14)(q13-15;q24.1) chromosomal translocation.
The finding in these leiomyosarcomas of rearrangements of the same regions of chromosomes 12 and 14 that are involved in the tumor-specific t(12;14)(q14-15;q23-24) of uterine leiomyoma indicates that the same genes in 12q and 14q might be important in the pathogenesis of benign and malignant smooth muscle tumors.
Uterine leiomyoma is the most common tumor of smooth muscle cell origin and is often associated with the recurrent balanced translocation t(12;14)(q13-15;q24).