Should I have my fibroadenoma removed?

If your doctor is reasonably certain that your breast lump is a fibroadenoma — based on the results of the clinical breast exam, imaging test and biopsy — you might not need surgery.

You might decide against surgery because:

• Surgery can distort the shape and texture of the breast
• Fibroadenomas sometimes shrink or disappear on their own
• The breast has multiple fibroadenomas that appear to be stable — no changes in size on an ultrasound compared to an earlier ultrasound

If you choose not to have surgery, it's important to monitor the fibroadenoma with follow-up visits to your doctor for breast ultrasounds to detect changes in the appearance or size of the lump. If you later become worried about the fibroadenoma, you can reconsider surgery to remove it.

Your doctor might recommend surgery to remove the fibroadenoma if one of your tests — the clinical breast exam, an imaging test or a biopsy — is abnormal or if the fibroadenoma is extremely large, gets bigger or causes symptoms.

Procedures to remove a fibroadenoma include:

• Lumpectomy or excisional biopsy. In this procedure, a surgeon removes breast tissue and sends it to a lab to check for cancer.
• Cryoablation. Your doctor inserts a thin, wand-like device (cryoprobe) through your skin to the fibroadenoma. A gas is used to freeze and destroy the tissue.

After a fibroadenoma is removed, it's possible for one or more new fibroadenomas to develop.

I would ask what type of Fibroadenoma it is because there are different types it could be called Complex or Giant . The Complex ones can grow rapidly . Even Phyllodes tumor can also be consider Fibroadenoma which is benign of course.

I would probably ask the place where you ended up getting the biopsy from which doctor is who they recommend to talk about the surgery pros and cons .

I had mine removed back in 2001. Fibroadeoma Bi-rads 4 Heterogenously dense.

I have a yearly mammogram and ultrasound. Coz my breast is dense. last July found a tumor on my right breast. Done my needle core biopsy last August. The doctor called me the next day. It was benign.(fibrocystic breast) Thank God!. But the results still inconclusive. About a week and a half after my biopsy. did the breast MRI test. And she called me the next day she said you don't have cancer. It was a relief.

My problem is... I still have pain on both breast. and my armpits It stings and it burns ...Persistent, discomfort it happens only for a second it's like pulsing pain that It won't go away The nurse assistant told me to take Tylenol for pain. She told me it's probably my cycle or if I'm carrying heavy stuff, workouts or taking any hormones tx. I don't... She told me to take notes all my pains and make an appt to see my PCM.

I want to get PET scan. But i cant since all my test came out normal.

I have an appt this month for my pulmonologist. Yearly check up for my lung nodule and asthma. Thankful! my nodule for how many years still the same size.

tinyteen18, sorry for what you are going through. We really appreciate you posting your experience. The doctors will probably be able to help you make this decision once you have your biopsy results back next week. Hopefully others will weigh in, and hang in there!