- Main signs and symptoms
- How to confirm the diagnosis
- What causes fibroadenoma
- How the treatment is done
- Main types of fibroadenoma
- Relationship between fibroadenoma and breast cancer
Fibroadenoma of the breast is a benign and very common tumor that usually appears in women under 30 as a hard lump that does not cause pain or discomfort, similar to a marble.
Generally, breast fibroadenoma is up to 3 cm and is easily identified during menstruation or pregnancy due to increased production of hormones that increase its size.
Breast fibroadenoma does not turn into cancer, but depending on the type, it may slightly increase the chances of developing breast cancer in the future.
Main signs and symptoms
The main sign of breast fibroadenoma is the appearance of a lump that:
- It has round shape; It is hard or with rubber consistency; It does not cause pain or discomfort.
When a woman feels a lump during breast self-examination, she should see a mastologist for an evaluation and rule out breast cancer.
Any other symptom is extremely rare, although some women may experience mild breast discomfort in the days immediately before menstruation.
How to confirm the diagnosis
The diagnosis of fibroadenoma in the breast is usually made by a mastologist with the help of diagnostic tests, such as mammography and breast ultrasound.
What causes fibroadenoma
Fibroadenoma of the breast does not yet have a specific cause, however, it is possible that it arises due to an increased sensitivity of the body to the hormone estrogen. Thus, women who are taking contraceptives appear to be at a higher risk of developing a fibroadenoma, especially if they start using it before the age of 20.
How the treatment is done
Treatment for fibroadenoma of the breast should be guided by a mastologist, but it is usually done only with annual mammograms and ultrasounds to monitor the development of the nodule, as it can disappear on its own after menopause.
However, if the doctor suspects that the lump may actually be cancer rather than fibroadenoma, he may recommend surgery to remove the fibroadenoma and perform a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis.
After surgery for fibroadenoma of the breast, the nodule may reappear and, therefore, surgery should only be used in cases of suspected breast cancer, since it is not a cure for fibroadenoma of the breast.
Main types of fibroadenoma
There are different types of fibroadenoma of the breast:
- Simple: usually less than 3 cm, contains only one cell type and does not increase the risk of cancer; Complex: contains more than one type of cell and increases the risk of having breast cancer very slightly;
In addition, the doctor may also refer that fibroadenoma is juvenile or giant, which means that it is more than 5 cm, which is more common after pregnancy or when undergoing hormone replacement therapy.
Relationship between fibroadenoma and breast cancer
In most cases, fibroadenoma and breast cancer are not related, since fibroadenoma is a benign tumor, unlike cancer, which is a malignant tumor. However, according to some studies, women who have the type of complex fibroadenoma may be up to 50% more likely to develop breast cancer in the future.
This means that having a fibroadenoma does not mean that you will get breast cancer, since even women who do not have any type of fibroadenoma are also at risk for cancer. Thus, the ideal is that all women, with or without fibroadenoma, undergo breast self-examination regularly to identify changes in the breast, as well as perform mammography at least once every 2 years to identify early signs of cancer. Here's how to do the breast self-examination:
