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Your specialist has found that
you have a fibroadenom a in your
breast (pronounced fi-bro-ad-e-
no-m a). Fibroadenom as are
not cancerous.
Fibroadenom as range in size.
They can be sm aller than a
m arble or as large as a golfball.
M ost fibroadenom as appear
suddenly and then stay the sam e
size. Som e shrink or continue
to grow . Fibroadenom as are
affected by horm ones just like
any other breast tissue. They
often change size over the
m enstrual cycle or in pregnancy.
Fibroadenom as are usually
rubbery and firm , but they can
be difficult to feel properly. If you
push on the lum p, you w ill
probably find that it m oves aw ay
from beneath your fingers.
This is w hy som e people call a
fibroadenom a a breast m ouse.
Fibroadenom as do not m ove far
w ithin the breast.
U sually, fibroadenom as are not
painful. H ow ever, they can be
uncom fortable or very sensitive
to touch. O ften w om en find that
their fibroadenom a gets tender
in the days before their period.
Pushing or prodding at the lum p
can also m ake it tender.
Researchers do not know w hat
causes fibroadenom as. W e do
know that they are quite
com m on, especially in w om en
aged betw een 15 and 25. U p to
one in six (15% ) of w om en have
a fibroadenom a at som e tim e
in their life. Som etim es a
fibroadenom a can be difficult to
distinguish from cancer, therefore
further testing m ay be required.
D iagnosis
To diagnose your breast
lum p as a fibroadenom a, the
specialist w ill have taken into
account:
An y n e e d fo r fu rth e r te stin g
to c o n firm th e d ia g n o sis
ie . ta kin g so m e c e lls fro m th e
lu m p fo r te stin g c o re
b io p sy) , n e e d le c yto lo g y, o r
su rg ic a l re m o va l
a n d a lso -
T h e re su lts o f a p h ysic a l
e xa m in a tio n a n d u ltra so u n d
o r m a m m o g ra m
T h e h isto ry, sh a p e a n d size
o f th e lu m p
Yo u r a g e
Wh e th e r th e re is a h isto ry
o f b re a st o r o va ria n c a n c e r
in yo u r fa m ily
If th e lu m p is g ro win g
o ve r tim e
D eciding
w hat to do
about a fibroadenom a
M ost fibroadenom as are left
alone and not treated. M any
w om en and their specialists
decide that there is no need
to rem ove the lum p. It is safe
to leave fibroadenom as w here
they are.
While fibroadenomas are not
cancerous, it is sometimes
difficult for clinicians and
women to feel completely
confident that a lump is not
cancerous. Some of these
lumps need to be removed
or have a biopsy to stop this
concern.
Som etim es a w om an asks to
have a fibroadenom a rem oved
because it is very uncom fortable
or painful. H ow ever, the scar
resulting from surgery m ight also
be uncom fortable or painful, so
this decision needs to be
considered very carefully.
If the fibroadenom a is continuing
to grow , som etim es a specialist
w ill suggest rem oving it before it
gets larger, sim ply to lessen the
am ount of scarring.
Fibroadenom as
Information for women who have a diagnosed fibroadenoma
FIBROADENOMAS
AND CANCER
Fibroadenomas are not cancer.
They are no more likely to
become cancerous than any
other part of the breast.
W estern Breast Services Alliance is a partnership betw een W estern H ealth, The Royal M elbourne H ospital, The Royal W om ens H ospital and associated private
providers including Frances Perry H ouse-M elbourne Private H ospital and Freem asons H ospital.
?
Surgical
rem oval
of a fibroadenom a
The extent of the operation to
rem ove a fibroadenom a depends
on its size. M ostly the operation
is perform ed w ith a general
anaesthetic. U sually you can go
hom e the sam e day.
There w ill be a scar w here the
fibroadenom a has been rem oved.
What
happens
now
Your fibroadenom a does not
put you at any increased risk
of breast cancer. You should
follow the recom m endations
for screening for breast cancer
for w om en of your age and
fam ily history.
All w om en need to be alert to
any changes in their breasts that
are not norm al for them . If you
have any change in your breast
that is different to your norm al
horm onal changes, you should
have it checked by your G eneral
Practitioner (G P).
feelings
For m ost w om en, having an
unusual breast change is
upsetting. It can bring up m any
different feelings and w orries.
Its understandable to fear cancer.
Its also com m on to find tests
stressful and invasive.
M ost of the tim e, w om en feel
relieved to know that their breast
change is due to a com m on
condition that is not harm ful or
dangerous. Som etim es, how ever,
they keep w orrying about getting
cancer. Som e w om en also find
that their breast change affects
how they feel about them selves,
their sexuality or relationships.
If a fibroadenom a is having
a negative im pact on your life,
it m ight help to share your
feelings w ith supportive fam ily
m em bers or friends. You could
also get inform ation or advice
from yourG P or a W om ens
H ealth N urse at your local
com m unity health centre. You
are w elcom e to talk again w ith
a specialist or Breast C are N urse
at the Breast C linic if you feel
this w ould help to put your m ind
at rest.
If your fibroadenom a is
painful, ask your specialist or
G P for our inform ation sheet
on Breast Soreness.
YOU AND YOUR GENERAL
PRACTITIONER (GP)
If you have recently
seen a specialist at
a Breast Clinic,
it is a good idea to visit
your GP afterwards.
That way, you can
make sure you fully
understand any
information, tests or
diagnosis that the
specialist gave you.
Its also a good chance
to talk about what you
are thinking and feeling
about your breast
change or diagnosis.
Your GP can also help
you if you would like
a second opinion about
your breast change.
If you dont have
a regular GP, ask
friends, family or
your local community
health centre for
some suggestions.
Its good to have a
regular GP who you
know and trust.
This information sheet is written for women who have been examined by a breast specialist and
found to have a benign (non cancerous) condition. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice
of a qualified doctor.
Produced by Western Breast Services Alliance. Funded by Department of Human Services through
BreastCare Victoria. November 2003.