What is fibroadenoma?
A fibroadenoma is a type of benign breast lump. It’s most common in people younger than 30. While some fibroadenomas might need treatment, they are usually harmless and aren’t caused by cancer.
If you find a lump in your breast, our team is here for you. Whether it’s a fibroadenoma or another breast condition, we’ll be by your side through diagnosis and treatment to ensure you get the answers you need.
Types of fibroadenoma
When you have a breast lump caused by a fibroadenoma, the type of fibroadenoma you have will guide your care and treatment options. Most of the time, fibroadenoma breast lumps fall into two main groups—simple fibroadenomas and complex fibroadenomas. Simple fibroadenomas are the most common overall, especially in younger people, while complex fibroadenomas tend to be found more often in those over 35.
Along with the simple and complex categories, there are two other types of fibroadenomas—juvenile and giant. Neither of these types are common. A fibroadenoma can also be classified as juvenile and giant at the same time.
When to see a doctor for a breast lump:
Anytime you notice a new lump in your breast, you should let your doctor know, even if you think it’s a harmless fibroadenoma. Your care provider can help decide if you need additional testing to check on the cause of the lump.
Along with a breast lump, some additional signs that you should see a doctor include:
- Sudden changes in the shape, size or look of your breast
- Skin changes, such as redness, dimpling, puckering, scaling or a rash
- Breast pain
- Nipple changes, including a nipple turning inward or nipple discharge
Fibroadenoma symptoms
The main symptom of a fibroadenoma is a solid breast lump you can feel. However, some fibroadenomas aren’t felt and are instead found on a mammogram. Usually, these benign lumps don’t cause other symptoms or pain, but some people may have tenderness around the lump, especially right before the start of their menstrual cycle.
Fibroadenomas can be a range of sizes and may feel round or flat. Most of the time, if you press on a lump caused by a fibroadenoma, it easily moves around in the breast tissue.
Some common signs of fibroadenoma breast lumps include:
- Feels round like a marble or flat like a coin
- Moves when pressed
- Has smooth, round edges
- Feels firm or rubbery
- Grows slowly or not at all
- May shrink during the teen years or menopause
- Grows more during pregnancy
What causes fibroadenoma
We don’t know why some people develop fibroadenomas. The likelihood of developing a fibroadenoma may be linked to changes in hormone levels, especially estrogen. For example, fibroadenomas tend to decrease when estrogen levels drop in menopause. They tend to grow larger with high estrogen levels, like in pregnancy.
Biopsy
Sometimes, you’ll need a breast biopsy to confirm that the lump in your breast is a fibroadenoma. This test takes a small sample of the tissue in the lump and sends it to a lab, where a doctor specializing in studying body tissues will examine the sample.
Two common types of breast biopsy for fibroadenomas are:
- Fine-needle aspiration uses a very small needle with a syringe to take a sample from the lump. It’s the least invasive type of breast biopsy.
- Core needle biopsy uses a hollow needle slightly bigger than the one used in fine-needle aspiration. It allows your provider to take a cylinder-shaped sample of the tissue in the lump.
Diagnosis
If you have fibroadenoma symptoms or your doctor thinks you may have a fibroadenoma breast lump, you’ll probably have some of the same tests you would have for any lump or spot in the breast. The tests you need may depend on factors like your age or if you have dense breast tissue.
Most of the time, your diagnosis will include a clinical exam and imaging tests. These imaging tests give your care team a detailed look at the lump and the surrounding area. Sometimes, imaging tests are all that’s needed to diagnose your condition. Other times, people also need a biopsy, which takes a tissue sample from the lump and sends it to a lab for testing.
Imaging tests
The three main imaging tests used by your healthcare provider to get a closer look at your breast tissue include:
- Mammogram: A mammogram takes images of your breast tissue using X-rays. However, if you have dense breast tissue, it may be harder to distinguish the lump from the thick tissue around it—since both can appear white on a mammogram.
- Ultrasound: Your care team may recommend a breast ultrasound to provide additional images of your breasts, especially if you have dense breasts. Ultrasounds use sound waves to provide images of your breast.
- MRI: Breast magnetic resonance imaging, or an MRI of the breast, is another way to get detailed images of your breasts. MRIs use computer software along with strong magnets and radio waves.
Fibroadenoma removal
Fibroadenoma treatment
Sometimes, the only care you need for a fibroadenoma is routine imaging and regular checkups. If the fibroadenoma isn’t causing any symptoms and is confirmed to be non-cancerous, your doctor may carefully monitor it instead of removing it. This is especially common if you have a fibroadenoma during hormonal changes, like pregnancy, where it might shrink on its own.
In other cases, you may choose to have a fibroadenoma removed. Your healthcare team might recommend fibroadenoma removal when the lump is large or getting more prominent, if your biopsy results weren’t clear, or if it’s causing symptoms like pain or changes in the shape of the breast.
If you decide to have a fibroadenoma removed, the two most common options are surgery to remove the fibroadenoma and a procedure to freeze the lump.
Excisional breast biopsy is a surgical treatment option for fibroadenoma. During this minimally invasive procedure—a lumpectomy—your surgeon removes the fibroadenoma and a little of the tissue around it.
Cryoablation uses ultrasound imaging guidance, a probe and a special gas to freeze the fibroadenoma tissue and destroy it without surgery.
Our locations near you
When you have fibroadenoma symptoms, arrange an appointment with your Primary Care Provider. We offer several locations in North and Central Texas to monitor and diagnose fibroadenomas.
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