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.
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.
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.
Fibroadenoma removal
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.
