Fibroadenomas are noncancerous, solid breast lumps. They usually appear in women aged 15 to 35. As you surely know, whenever you feel a breast lump, the situation is scary. Women can easily end up worried about the fact that the lump might be cancerous.
Fibroadenoma: Is that breast lump cancerous or not?
The fibroadenoma can feel smooth, hard, rubbery or firm. It usually has a really well-defined shape. In most cases, it is painless and can feel just like having a small marble inside the breast. It easily moves under your skin as the examination happens. The fibroadenomas will vary in size. They can shrink or enlarge without anything happening.
The good news is that fibroadenomas are really common and they are noncancerous. They are benign breast lumps that often appears in younger women. Regular treatment includes monitoring so that changes in feel or size can be detected. Biopsies are utilized to evaluate lumps. Sometimes, surgeries are required to remove fibroadenomas.
Fibroadenoma Symptoms
We are talking about solid breast lumps. They are normally round with smooth and distinct borders. The great news is that they are painless, easily moved and firm. Unfortunately, this is also the bad news. This is because it is quite common for women to not even realize that a lump is present. You should always go to regular checkups to be sure that you do not have such problems.
When Should You See A Doctor?
Normal breast tissue will often feel lumpy in healthy women. You need to make appointments and visit the doctor whenever:
- A brand new lump is detected in your breast.
- There are changes that happen with the breast.
- The breast lump that you checked in the past grown or it changed as it looks separate from surrounding breast tissue.
Fibroadenoma Causes
Nobody knows why fibroadenomas appear. However, they might actually be related to the reproductive hormones. The lumps will occur much more often during reproductive years. This is when it will become bigger, as during pregnancy or when hormone therapy is utilized. It is also possible that the lumps end up shrinking right after menopause because the body’s hormone levels decrease.
Fibroadenoma Types
Besides the really simple fibroadenomas, we also have:
- Complex fibroadenomas – These contain some changes, like cell overgrowth. Pathologists make this diagnosis after biopsy tissue is reviewed.
- Juvenile fibroadenomas – This is very common in adolescents and girls. It is possible that they grow large but will end up shrinking after some time. It is also common that they disappear.
- Giant fibroadenomas – Such lumps end up growing to over 2 inches. You might have to remove them since they end up replacing breast tissue or press too much on them.
- Phyllodes tumors – Even if they are normally benign, there are phyllodes tumors that become malignant (cancer). These absolutely have to be removed.
Whenever you have a lump in your breast, it is vital that you go to the doctor. Most of the fibroadenomas will not affect breast cancer risk. Even so, breast cancer risk can slightly increase in the event that you are diagnosed with a phyllodes tumor or a very complex fibroadenoma.
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