Removing a painless fibroadenoma?

txlady

Hey there,

I'm 23 and just got the results of my biopsy back - fibroadenoma. My radiologist has been pushing me to have the lump removed since before the biopsy; one of the doctors in practice tried to have me in surgery before it was even biopsied.

The fibroadenoma doubled in size in a year, but it is completely painless and not at all visible. On ultrasound, it looks like a classic fibroadenoma (oval shaped, smooth edges), and the biopsy confirmed that it was a simple one. No one has told me the size, but it's certainly not changing my bra size, and like I said, it's not visible. It also wasn't causing me any anxiety until the doctor started talking surgery

I'm not quite sure why my radiologist is pushing surgery so hard if the results seem so positive. In fact, the radiologist assured me she had no concerns about it being cancerous at all, and was doing the biopsy mainly to see if it could be a Phyllodes. The cynical part of me wonders if it's only because she has financial interest in referring me to the surgeon (she does and showed me the appropriate form). I've asked her and others in her office and never gotten a straight answer.

I have routine appointments with my PCP and gyno in the next few weeks, and I plan to ask their opinions, but I wondered if any of you could point me toward some information in the meanwhile about why they might be pushing the surgery. My googling hasn't proven fruitful thanks in advance!

SummerAngel

There's a good chance they just want to remove it because it grew so fast. That's not to say they suspect anything is wrong, though. It's completely up to you. If I were you, seeing that you're so young, I would wait and have it checked in 6 months and if it's still growing have it removed then.

Moderators

Txlady-

We want to welcome you to our community here at BCO, we hope you find the support and advice you're looking for!

Like Summer said, the radiologist may want to remove it because of how quickly it grew. While fibroadenomas are benign, they can grow to a size that can cause discomfort in some women. So if it's fast-growing, there may be some concern that it could get too big. If you have concerns about the surgery, there certainly isn't any harm in waiting 6 months and checking it, or getting a second opinion.

Keep us posted and let us know what you decide!

The Mods