Can Fibroadenoma be really painful?

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Meaniejr
Meaniejr Member Posts: 3
edited June 2014 in High Risk for Breast Cancer

I'll start w/some background history.  When my Mom was 50 she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and had a mastectomy.  In August my 1 sister was diagnosed w/Invasive Lobular Cancer and had a bilateral surgery.  All types of cancer runs in my family.  Father died of Brain Cancer, his father died of stomach cancer, then Mom had it, eldest sister has skin cancer (and never laid out in the sun a day in her life), and now my 1 sister has breast cancer.  Leaving my brother and I the only ones w/out cancer.   I also should have mentioned that my Sister and my Mom were tested and they have BRCA 1 and 2.  So my geneticist decided that at this point it was unnecessary to test me.

Well 5mths ago, I started have a pain on the right side of my right breast and towards my armpit.  I could feel a lump.  So after my sister was diagnosed w/breast cancer and went to an oncologist ASAP.  They sent me ASAP to a Mamo, ultrasound then biospy all w/in a time span of 3 days.  It turned out to be a fibroadenoma.  Great news.  However, the pain is still there at the site of the fibroadenoma and it has gotten a lot worse.  So painful to the touch and now the surrounding area  is also getting very sore and painful.  My oncologist sent me back in for another ultrasound yesterday and the radiologist said he didn't see anything abnormal and that he still only saw the fibroadenoma and nothing else odd.  However, while doing the ultrasound he quickly found out just how painful it really is to me!  As he was scanning the area, I just about jumped off the table in pain.  He was very surprised to see how really painful this was causing me and was unable to give me any insight as to why it would be so painful.  He said it doesn't make sense to him but the would sent the report onto my oncologist and let her make the decision. He said that the pain would probably just resolve itself.  Which doesn't make ANY sense to me since the pain just continues to get worse!

I can't lay on my right side anymore, I can hardly wash that area b/c it hurts so much.  When the pain started out 5mths ago it was just a little discomfort, nothing really unless and really pushed hard on the nodule and even then it was just at a level of discomfort, not pain.  Over the mths is has really progressed into horrible pain that is 24/7.  Carrying groceries and even my purse hurts.

I don't know what to think anymore.  I'm scared that there might be an underlying breast issue other than this Fibroadenoma.  Or might it just be that the Fibroadenoma itself is causing all this pain?  Does anyone have suggestions for me?  Or what this might be?  Thank you so much.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited October 2009

    Considering your  family history and that your mom and sister are BRCA positive, I would insist on removal of the fibroadenoma, just to make absolutely sure there is nothing more serious going on in there along with it. I would also insist on genetic testing to find out your status. (you could still be negative even though your mom and sister are positive). Knowing your status would probably help you to make decisions in the future.

    Anne

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  • Estepp
    Estepp Member Posts: 6,416
    edited October 2009

    I can tell you that I had a Fibroadenma. Had it biopsied at age 26-28... and that darn thing hurt like heck until my mast. NO JOKE. It really hurt as my period came close. I was told , a long time ago.. they could take it out for me and that would rid the pain... but if I just left it in there it would stop hurting on its own as my body stopped producing estrogen. Estrogen spikes is what makes them hurt.

    I remember if I would have three glasses of wine at a party.. WOW.. hurt hurt hurt... now I know alcohol spike estrogen...

    Well.. YEAR later I got BC... and I had them take the healthy breast too.. the one with the fibro... so.. no more pain for me...

    I did not have hormone positive BC either.. I was 100% Her2.

    Anyway... I hope I helped.. I just had surgery yesterday.. so I am a little "off" do to demerol...LOL...

    PM me anytime if you wanna chat about the Fibro stuff....

    Laura

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  • kibbles
    kibbles Member Posts: 101
    edited November 2009

    I have/had 6 fibroadenomas (two were removed; we're monitoring the others right now).  I am in my early 30's.  One of the fibros that was removed hurt severely.  The pain would be associated with my fibrocystic pain with my cycle, and would be aggravated by the usual fibrocystic triggers.  But this fibro ached and felt heavy.  It felt like a burning, aching pain.  I couldn't touch it and wearing a bra around the area hurt.  It was like this for 5 months, and then the pain went away.  A few months later I had it removed because it grew in size slightly.  Turned out to be a benign fibroadenoma.  Another fibro was very tender but did not have the kind of pain this one did.  Now my remaining 4 don't hurt at all. 

    I have found immense reduction of my breast pain by cutting out all caffeine and eating very little dairy products.  Dairy products are a huge breast pain trigger for me.  Dairy affected my fibros too.  

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  • momof1
    momof1 Member Posts: 4
    edited November 2009

    I just had a biopsy 2 weeks ago. Benign. I haven't gotten the copy of pathology yet (hopefully next week) but I think mine was either a fibroadenoma or a pappilloma (sp?) However, whichever one it was, it was extremely painful. I can't tell you if the removal helped because I'm still fairly swollen and the excision sight is still very tender. As with Kibbles, mine also fluctuated with my menstrual cycle. I'm a high risk so I chose to have it removed just to be positive. My theory is that if it's not suppose to be in there then why leave it?

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  • cka0706
    cka0706 Member Posts: 70
    edited November 2009

    I had fibroadenoma many years ago. It was so painful I had to hold my breast when I walked down stairs. I had it removed (under the guise of "biopsy") because the pain really became life limiting.

    When I was diagnosed with BD (IDC) there was no pain at all. 

    Good luck. 

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  • llghd
    llghd Member Posts: 1
    edited May 2012

    Hello, let me start off by saying i am in my mid 30s and i have had painfull breast exspecailly in my left no matter what time of the month it is. Now it does get worse at the {time of the month but that doesnt mean it stops at that} One time i woke up and they hurt so bad when i was a teen that i was holding my breast because it felt like i was carring a backpack full of bricks. They are sharp pains on the top and bottom of my breast. I got a mammogram finally and then they sent me for another mammogram then to the hospital for altrasound then get a call back and tell me a  biopsy two different ones. The one couldnt not show up because i had so many of what they didnt know what they was yet or density also they said they couldnt do the biopsy and told me i could have it removed now as a precation or wait a year and come back and have it looked at again. but the other biopsy came back as fibroadenomas. every thing i have read says they are not painful and i am hear to tell you thats a load of bull. Cancer runs in my family and i have found out when you open up some ones body it is more likey to spread so untill they tell say i have no choice they are not touching me.. good luck

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  • BlueSky5
    BlueSky5 Member Posts: 46
    edited May 2012

    I had a mass they thought was a fibroadenoma and it hurt at times. I just had a biopsy and they believe it was the "fibroadenoma" that they got. The path diagnosed it an "apocrine metaplasia".

    If you mom and sis are BRCA positive -- they should test you to see whether you are also. If you are, you may want a PBMX.  But you may be negative. 

    It appears that there are breast cancer genes that run in families that the current tests do not detect. As many families with strong histories (including members getting the disease at very young ages) are testing negative.

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  • elimar86861
    elimar86861 Member Posts: 7,416
    edited May 2012

    Short answer to your topic question:  Yes!

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  • Sommer43
    Sommer43 Member Posts: 600
    edited May 2012

    Fibroadenomas can be painful, it is what took me to my GP in the first place.  I felt no lump, they found it! 

    This is an old thread. 

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  • zoe90
    zoe90 Member Posts: 1
    edited November 2012

    I got fibroadenoma since i was 17, i was at the Gym walking on the electrical walking machine, when I realised an awful pain in my chest, i thought it was from my heart as it was no lump, after around 2 years, i was showering and a found the lump, and i panicked i checked with the doctor and he said it's fibroadenoma, and that if it's annoying me i can remove but it's not necessary, that was around 2 years ago, now I'm 23 and it's growing and it hurts even more that i can't run, jump. or wear a proper bra, it has to be loose one, and I can feel another lump in my other breast, and I'm realy scared to have the surgery or even to check with the dpctor, what if it's breast cancer?...my mum used to have uterus cancer I'm really scared, please help me and tell me how is the surgery's pain,,and how long does it last?....

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  • JordHoff
    JordHoff Member Posts: 1
    edited December 2012

    I'm only 19 and I've had 7 fibroadenomas in the last two years. When I was 17 I had 2 removed (one from each breast) because the pain was so bad I would wake up in tears and couldn't raise my arms above my head. I was hoping that getting rid of the two largest ones would stop my pain but it didnt. However, even after getting them removed I'm still in a lot of pain. I dont know what to do anymore becasue all of the doctors I see just tell me it's something I have to live with but that is not an option for me becasue it hurts me to run and I am on scholarship to run track in college. If this pain does not subside then I will have no other option than to quit and transfer schools, becasue I cannot afford this one without my scholarship. Does anyone know of a Doctor that will actually listen to me and do something to help me, please, I'm desperate.

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  • missypie882
    missypie882 Member Posts: 1
    edited December 2012

    It has been a year with breast pain but doc said the pain was just my period.I just had an ultrasound and they said it was a fibroadenoma. I met with a surgeon and she said that my pain wouldn't go away if I had the surgery, so she wants me to have the biopsy done. It was just due to my hormones and to take evening primrose for the pain. I was sort of put off that she just attributed the pain to that. I NEVER had pain until I felt the lump it is too coincidental for me. Anyone else have these issues. I think I want to find a different surgeon.. I just want it out

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