By the term fibroadenoma we mean a solid, soft, elastic formation (lump) in the breast, with +clear boundaries. It is the most common type of benign lump that appears in the breast usually of younger women (from young girls to women around 40 years old). This is because in the vast majority of cases, the fibroadenoma degenerates after menopause. It is also worth noting that it is still unclear, according to the scientific data so far, why it appears.
Regarding its size, the fibroadenoma can be as small as a few millimeters and reach up to a few centimeters, while it does not cause any pain or fluid secretion from the nipple. In some cases, a breast fibroadenoma may also contain some cysts. Finally, more than one fibroadenoma may appear, either in one or both breasts.
Diagnosis of Breast Fibroadenoma
It all starts with the clinical examination of the breast by a specialist mammologist or if the woman has detected something abnormal in her breast during the self-examination. Fibroadenoma can also be detected with a breast screening.
Because the fibroadenoma has a very characteristic shape, a breast ultrasound will give us a very characteristic image. To confirm that it is indeed a fibroadenoma, the specialist will perform a puncture at the site, from where fluid will be removed from the fibroadenoma and sent for biopsy or cytological examination. Depending on the case, however, the doctor may recommend an MRI (if the result of the ultrasound is not clear) or even a percutaneous biopsy.
Fibroadenoma and Breast Cancer
Practically, there is no connection between the appearance of a fibroadenoma and its development into breast cancer. In other words, it is impossible for a fibroadenoma to develop breast cancer. However, a malignant tumor may be mislabeled as a fibroadenoma. Also, a certain type of tumor (a squamous cell tumor) has very similar characteristics to a fibroadenoma and can develop into a malignant sarcoma. At this point, let us mention that many women feel disturbed by the existence of calcified fibroadenoma in one or both breasts. However, it is a simple decalcification of an old fibroadenoma and does not hide any malignancy or other pathology. For this reason, surgical excision is not required. The appearance of this type of breast fibroadenoma is usually seen in older women and should not cause any concern.
Treatment of breast fibroadenomas
If it is a small fibroadenoma (less than 2 cm), then it usually does not need to be removed. Larger breast fibroadenomas are monitored and removed if an increase in size is observed, because this increase may indicate that it is ultimately a phyllodes tumor. In this case, surgery is performed under general or local anesthesia, in a way that will not affect the aesthetics of the area. A fibroadenoma is also surgically removed when it deviates from its expected physiology (eg, is heterogeneous) and increases in size.
At the treatment level of breast fibroadenoma, re-examination is recommended approximately every 6 months after the initial diagnosis for approximately 18 months, with ultrasound and clinical examination. If no change is observed in the texture, shape and/or size of the fibroadenoma, then follow-up is done annually.