Not sure about fibroadenoma

Hi there,

Fibroadenomas are benign. I am wondering why they labelled yours "complex." Given your family history, the doctor will want to excise any mass that grows to make sure it's not cancer. Another possibility is that it's a phyllodes tumor -- hard to distinguish from a fibroadenoma even with a core biopsy, and almost impossible with a fine needle. Phyllodes are usually benign as well, though.

So there are lots of possibilities of what it could be, most of them benign -- a strange-acting fibroadenoma (I had one of those recently), a phyllodes tumor (almost always benign, but they grow and need to be excised), and it is possible it's cancer.

Keep us posted. And by the way, the excisional biopsy won't be bad at all. I personally have found the core biopsy to be more difficult.

Melissa

I've had several b9 fibroids removed over the last 20 years (I'm 47). Have a mother diagnosed at 63 and a grandmother who passed at 54 so given all my lumps and bumps (I'm loaded with cysts), I've always had the thought of cancer in the back of my mind. I've only had one cyst aspirated becasue it was hugh and it was painful. It was over 3 cm in size. I have a GYN who had a mother who passed form BC and believes that if it is not suppose to be there than it should come out. I tend to agree with him so all the lumps, even if I knew they were benign through needle biopsy, I had removed. I wouldn't worry about the cysts, but I have now been dignosed with LCIS when they needle biopsied a lump that turned out to be benign. This was an incidental finding, but important for me to know. As for your doctor wanting to remove your before it gets larger, I would imagine that it is easier to remove something when it is smaller and less noticable in the breast. Good luck with all.

I have a strong family history of breast cancer and a fibroadenoma as well. It's my understanding that after a certain age, a fibroadenoma that is growing is usually removed. As you age, it should get smaller if anything. So the fact that it's getting larger is just a little red flag. I apologize, but I can't recall now after which age it should shrink and not grow. The size of mine is monitored. Plus if it's growing,  I think it can block the view on imaging of a potential cancer...so it will help future imaging tests if it's out. Wishing you all the best.