fibroadenoma

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anon0108
anon0108 Member Posts: 9
edited June 2015 in Benign Breast Conditions

my wife had one removed last year, a month after she turned 48.

it was a gigantic trial - getting a mammogram callback, getting the diagnostic mammogram, doing an FNA, getting a benign diagnosis but getting an excision because pathology and imaging could not reach concordance

its a year later and my wife is scheduling another mammogram

she's fine. i'm terrified by the research that says fibroadenoma raise your risk by about 1%.

her family history is fine. her mom has alzheimer's and, maybe 15 years ago, had a hysterectomy to remove uterine cancer. her sisters are all alive and all healthy. she's been taking birth control since about age 18 and continues to do so but she says she's edging into menopause. she's had one child at age 30. menarche started at 13. she drinks about 1 glass of wine with dinner and has exercised regularly since we got together 25 years ago.

hall's breast cancer risk calculator puts her at about a 97% chance of avoiding the disease. the average for a woman her age is about 98%.

her 1% increase in risk has me convinced this is inevitable - and i know this is unreasonable.

i'm here to get facts and to just talk.

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  • Laura_E
    Laura_E Member Posts: 154
    edited June 2015

    Hi, anon0108. Although I can understand your fear, the odds are very, very good in your wife's favor. I currently one two fibroadenoma, one in each side. I have opted to leave them be, as my doctor says the risks far outweigh the benefits of removing them. My risk factors are pretty high, based on family and personal history. Based on the NCI risk assessment, mine is 23.1%. However, I am taking faith in the radiologists belief that she is 99% sure the fibroadenoma are nothing to worry about.

    Fibroadenoma are normal and common. I would treasure each minute you have, try not to let the possibility of a 1% increase is "something" overrule your life. 97% odds of avoiding the disease are darn good, and something many women on these boards would jump at the chance to be able to say.

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  • anon0108
    anon0108 Member Posts: 9
    edited June 2015

    Laura E

    I have obsessive compulsive disorder and catastrophize without realizing it. Part of my reason in posting is to get facts that are NOT filtered thru my anxiety disorder since my OCD responds very well to facts.

    You have given me some facts and its made all the difference in the world.

    I have been trying to make myself recognize that the difference between 97% vs 98% is … small to say the least. Your response highlights this in an undeniable way.

    I do treasure every minute with my wife. And that's why I do things like this to help manage my disorder. Left on my own, I would spiral into depression and worse. That does no one any good.

    Thank you very much for you comments.

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