Fibroadenoma keeps growing and changing shape!

Swm1982

Hi All! I'm new to posting but have been reading the threads for a while now. I'm 37 and have a Fibroadenoma in my right breast at the 9 o'clock position. I first found the lump in January of 2019 and went in for my first mammogram. While I was there they also gave me the 3-D Mammo and an Ultrasound. They found a perfectly oval shaped mass that measured 1cm. I was told to come back every 6 months for follow up. 6 months later everything was the same, but the following 6 months there were changes. So a year after finding the lump it has now grown to 2cm and started changing shape (no longer the perfect little oval). The radiologist always spoke to me at all my visits but this time he sent his nurse out to tell me I needed a core needle biopsy. I had so many questions but the nurse couldn't answer them. So I left there frustrated and scared. I made the appointment and got the biopsy done. It came back confirmed Fibroadenoma!! Great I can move on, except I just had my yearly mammo screening and got a call the next day that I have to come back. I went back to the breast cent 2 days after mammo for ultrasound. The lump has gotten even bigger. We are now measuring 3 cm (a whole centimeter since January 2020) Radiologist told me it's best to book a BS for a surgical biopsy. Then he explains to me he doesn't exactly know what it is or if it is a Fibroadenoma it's acting in way he has never seen before. He stated that when doing the core biopsy he could have missed something and gotten good cells but missed bad cells. He then told me that it could still be nothing. Talk about all the ups and downs! So now I don't know what to think when I've thought I was in the clear this entire time. I do have a consultation booked for Monday for a breast surgeon. Once the referral was sent to them they called to let me know they moved patients around to get me in Monday. So considering this all happened today that's pretty good! Sorry for the long post, I guess I'm looking for someone with similar experiences. I guess I'm a “always think the worst" girl in situations like this. I'd rather be prepared than disappointed or shocked. If there are any typos, sorry, my kids stole my computer to play Minecraft lol and I'm typing this from my phone.

Beesie

I've had two fibroadenomas. They were both huge so I did have them surgically removed, although I waited a few years before I removed the second one. My understanding is that fibroadenomas can grow. But fibroadenomas can also hide cancer. It's not common but in my time on this site, I've seen it happen 2 to 3 times. Fibroadenomas are made up of breast tissue so just as cancer can develop within breast tissue, cancer can develop within a fibroadenoma.

The odds are in your favor that this will just turn out to be a fibroadenoma, but if it was me, I'd definitely go for the surgical biopsy to have it removed and checked under a microscope.

Let us know how your appointment with the BS goes on Monday!

Swm1982

Thank you for the reply! I do have more confidence than not that it is a Fibroadenoma, but like you said it’s the what if something is hiding behind it. I knew going in before the ultrasound I was going to ask for it to be removed. I have dense breast so having this lump removed is one less thing for something bad to be obscured from imaging. I’ll definitely keep in touch and let you know what’s said Monday

Swm1982

Thank you for the reply! I do have more confidence than not that it is a Fibroadenoma, but like you said it's the what if something is hiding behind it. I knew going in before the ultrasound I was going to ask for it to be removed. I have dense breast so having this lump removed is one less thing for something bad to be obscured from imaging. I'll definitely keep in touch and let you know what's said Monday

Rossana301765

Hi! I am currently going through a similar situation. I am 31 years old, in March 2020 I felt a lump in my left breast 3 o'clock position and went in to have it checked out. The dr said the lump was about 2cm and she wanted me to wait until after my menstrual cycle to see if the lump decreased in size, told me to call back if it did not get smaller. In april I felt as if it had gotten bigger so I scheduled a mammogram and ultrasound. The lump measured 2.8cm and in May I had a core needle biopsy which confirmed it was a fibroadenoma. I was told to come back in 6 months but after only 3 months I knew it had gotten even bigger. After another mammogram and ultrasound the lump is now measuring 3.8cm so I am scheduled for surgery on Oct 12. I am extremely nervous, I just keep thinking that whatever is causing it to grow at such a fast rate can not be good. I do have a family history of breast cancer (mom and aunt) and I just cant help but to think the worst. I guess there's nothing I can do but wait for surgery and try to hope for the best.

Swm1982

Hi Rossana,

Sorry I haven’t seen your comment until now. I just had mine taken out yesterday and will get definite results next Wednesday. One thing I have learned from all this is to try your best to not worry and to stay away from Google. I have Googled everything under the sun and have scared myself to the point of depression. Chances of it being a fibroadenoma is in our favor(that’s what I’m holding on to). The fact that we both had a core needle biopsy and both came back as Fibroadenoma is very promising, but if anyone understands your worry it is me. I’m glad you have an appointment to get it taken out, because it’s better to besafe than sorry. Plus, if your anything like me the “what-if” was always in the back of my mind. I knew getting it out was the only way I could truly move forward especially since it was continuously growing. Good luck and let me know how everything goes!

MelissaDallas

So what do you do if you happen to be one of those (common) women who are really good at growing benign masses? Despite benign biopsies and imaging indicating benign, keep hacking away surgically at your breasts until there is nothing leftfor peace of mind because you don’t trust biopsies?

Swm1982

I'm not saying I don't trust biopsies. I actually trusted the original one I had. But yes it did make me worried when it kept growing and the radiologist said he can no longer be 100% sure until I get it removed and biopsied that way. Were there Fibroadenoma fragments that were taken out through a core needle biopsy? Absolutely, I have no doubt in that. But the radiologist along with my breast surgeon want to be assured that nothing is hiding behind it causing the mass to grow. I've left this fibroadenoma in since January of 2019 and had no worries until it started growing. So yes I decided to take it out for peace of mind and as a recommendation from both the radiologist and surgeon. When their concern grew then naturally so did mine. And no I wouldn't continue to hack away at lumps and bumps in my breast due to a piece of mind for a proven benign lump. But in my case my doctors went from 100% sure that this particular lump Is benign to now we're not so sure what's happening. So don't you think with that information I would have reason enough to hack away at this lump? Each case is different and each case should be treated as so.

SummerAngel

Swm1982, it sounds to me like your medical team is doing exactly what they should be doing. It's standard to recommend removal if a fibroadenoma begins growing rapidly. It's also common for larger fibroadenomas to be removed just because they're large. As others have said, it's very unlikely cancer will be found (.0125% to.3% of fibroadenomas contain cancer), which is reassuring. That said, I'm one of the very small percentage where cancer was found inside a fibroadenoma, and I'm happy and healthy with no recurrences 5 years later. My very experienced breast surgeon said she had never seen it happen before in her career. Good luck and keep us posted!

Swm1982

SummerAngel I’m so sorry you had to go through that, and I’m celebrating with you that you are healthy and have no recurrences! I appreciate your kind words. I did just get the call from my BS about 10 minutes ago that she received the pathology report and everything came back as benign! So that is a relief! I thought I was going to have to wait until my follow-up appointment to find out. One thing this whole situation has taught me is to be more breast aware.

SummerAngel

I'm so glad to hear that your results were benign, how wonderful!