UDH fibroadenoma

Sunandstars

Hello! I was just diagnosed with benign fibroadenoma and UDH hyperplasia.

Does anyone know, how much does this increase my cancer risk in the future?

I want it removed because of the elevated risk and visibilitybut my doctor wasn’t really concerned 😟

Beesie

"how much does this increase my cancer risk in the future?"

Probably not at all. If you have no family history of breast cancer or other conditions that increase your risk, with these two conditions your lifetime breast cancer risk could still be below average.

"Mild hyperplasia of the usual type: This does not increase the risk for breast cancer." https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/non-cancerous-breast-conditions/hyperplasia-of-the-breast-ductal-or-lobular.html

"Simple fibroadenomas do not seem to increase breast cancer risk by much, if at all. Complex fibroadenomas seem to increase the risk slightly more than simple fibroadenomas." https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/non-cancerous-breast-conditions/fibroadenomas-of-the-breast.html

Moderators

Hi Sunandstars, and welcome. In addition to the helpful info Beesie provided above, you might be interested in checking out the main Breastcancer.org site's pages on Fibroadenoma and Usual Ductal or Lobular Hyperplasia.

We hope this helps put you at ease!

--The Mods

Sunandstars

Thank you for replying!

ThreeTree

Sunandstars - As with the info Beesie provided, it's my understanding that the general thought out there is that a benign fibroadenoma puts you at no real increased risk, however, I did have a benign fibroadenoma way back in 1972 and I developed breast cancer (diagnosed in 2018) in the exact same spot all these years later.

Times and medical procedures were different in 1972, but I was told at the time that I was at no higher risk of getting breast cancer due to the fibroadenoma. They had removed it and I was left with some ongoing nerve pains and hard scar tissue. Any time I complained about anything in that area over the years, I was told not to worry that it was just old nerve damage and scar tissue. Consequently, when I first noticed something new going on in that area of my breast I chalked it up to the old fibroadenoma and presumed it was just more scar tissue and nerve trouble; even thought some of it was changes in the area due to aging of the scar tissue, breast "sagging", etc. Admittedly, I had stopped getting routine mammograms, but I will say that if what I experienced in 2018 had happened to any other part of that breast or the other breast, I would have gone to get it checked out immediately. I kept presuming they would tell me as in the past, that it was just the old fibroadenoma scar tissue acting up/changing with aging, etc.

Boy, was I ever wrong and I'm paying a price for it. My tumor was pretty large and advanced by the time I finally did go get it checked out.

My point is to do watch that spot of yours and even if they say you are at no higher risk, if anything changes at all, go get it checked out. In my case, I just couldn't believe that cancer would develop in the exact same spot where the excision had been, but it did.

Monarchandthemilkweed

I had a fibroadenoma removed in the same breast I later developed breast cancer. I also had a regular cyst. No one had every suggested they are related. But thought I’d share my expe

Beesie

At least 50% of women (some sites suggest more than 60% of women) have fibrocystic breasts. Many of these women develop breast cysts. Approximately 10% of women develop fibroadenomas. These conditions are driven by estrogen and specifically, by estrogen level fluctuations, which as women we experience often as we go through life.

Given how common these benign breast conditions are, it's not surprising that many women who develop breast cancer also at some point in their lives have had fibroadenomas, cysts and fibrocystic breasts. These are all common conditions so there will naturally will be a lot of overlap. It is also true that many women who never develop breast cancer at some point in their lives will have cysts, fibroadenomas and fibrocystic breasts.

That said, any breast change that does not go away on it's own within a short period of time should be checked out.

Sunandstars

ThreeTree - I’m sorry to hear about your experience. Can I ask, did you have any epithelia hyperplasia (UDH) in your fibroadenoma back then? My doctor says that increases my risk slightly, but not fibroadenoma on its own.

I will definetly watch the spot for any changes and get regular ultrasounds at least,

Thank you!

Sunandstars

Monarchandthemilkweed - I’m sorry to hear about your bc diagnosis. Thank you for sharing

Sunandstars

Beesie - that is also true. I think I was more concerned about the epithelial hyperplasia on my fibroadenoma because my doctor said it increases the bc risk slightly. Anyhow, I think every worrysome change in breasts would be wise to get checked out!

ThreeTree

Sunandstars - I'm sorry, but I have no idea about the UDH. I was only ever told that it was a benign fibroadenoma and at that time (I was 19) there was no real imaging like they have today and they had to remove it to distinguish it from a cyst. They couldn't decide without removing it, if it was a cyst or a tumor. I don't know if UDH was even anything known or considered back then. Wish I could help more.

Beesie

Sunandstars, I think the answer to whether UDH increases risk is one of definition.

As women, we all have a baseline breast cancer risk of approx. 4%-5%. But the "average" woman has a 12.5% risk of developing breast cancer during her lifetime. That's the "1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer" figure that we all have drilled into our heads from the press and our doctors and any other reading we do. The difference between the the 4%-5% and 12.5% figures is driven by two factors.

First, by definition, the "average risk for all women" includes all women, some of whom are low risk and some of whom are high risk.

Second, it is also true that eventually many if not most women are found to have one or two small risk factors, whether it's family risk, or environmental exposure, or one of the more than dozen different low risk or high risk breast conditions out there. For those of us who've had breast cancer, often our pathology reports include incidental findings - mine read like a pathology textbook, I had so much crap in there, none of which was of any concern except for the 1 high risk condition I had (ADH), and of course, the breast cancer itself. Women who've never have a biopsy most likely never know that they have some of these conditions.

I have no idea what other risk factors you may have, if you have any at all. But looking just at the UDH, if you take the highest possible risk that some websites mention, "1.5 to 2 times the risk" (which is specific to moderate or florid usual hyperplasia without atypia; mild usual hyperplasia does not increase risk), on it's own at most UDH might take your risk from the 4%-5% baseline up to 8%-10%. This is still lower than the 12.5% average for all women.

So does having UDH increase your breast cancer risk? Maybe, maybe not. Either way, I think most doctors/breast experts would say that it's already built into the mix.

One question: Sunandstars, how old are you? And how large is the fibroadenoma (I've had two and they were huge). Usually fibroadenomas are left in place in younger women (teens, 20s) because they may eventually shrink on their own but sometimes they are removed in women who are older (particularly 40 and above). This isn't because of the risk from the fibroadenoma, but because a large solid fibroadenoma may block imaging of the breast and hide something more serious.

Sunandstars

Beesie - Thanks, I’m 35 and my fibroadenoma is 18 x 12 x 16mm. So, not that huge but fairly visibl