28-06-2015, 00:45
I like this response in a medhelp forum:
Best Answer
zouzi
Feb 22, 2012
To: cally44
Hi,
The causes of Fibroadenomas are not entirely known,but it is believed that it is associated with hormones fluctuations.For a suspected fibroadenoma mammograms are routinely performed for women age 30 and older.For women younger than age 30, the doctor may opt for a breast ultrasound instead of a mammogram to evaluate a breast lump.Radiation used during mammograms is about the same as a dental x-ray, and less than what is needed for a standard chest x-ray.So I don't see any reason to worry about that, since the radiation is minimal and the benefits far outweigh the risk.
Breast ultrasound has excellent contrast resolution,,but it lacks the detail of conventional mammography.Ultrasound is not usually used as a screening tool for breast cancer.Rather,it is used to investigate an abnormality detected by mammography.After all the tests required are studied and the radiologist is pretty sure that the lump in your breast has all the characteristics of a benign fibroadenoma,then there would be no need to remove the lump,because in many cases fibroadenomas could go away on their own within a few years.These benign breast tumors are known to increase in size and tenderness in relation to the menstrual cycles due to hormonal changes and are not related to breast cancer in any way.There are some reports stating that low fat, high fiber diets,limiting caffeine intake ( coffee,chocolate,colas) could decrease incidence of fibroadenoma.
When a Radiologist is certain that the lump is most likely a benign fibroadenoma,then he/she could recommend conservative management with regular follow up to make sure that there are no changes.However,if there is any concern,(mammogram or ultrasound cannot tell if a lump is cancerous or not) then a biopsy of the tumor has to be performed so that the tissue extracted can be examined by a pathologist to obtain a correct diagnosis.
Best Answer
zouzi
Feb 22, 2012
To: cally44
Hi,
The causes of Fibroadenomas are not entirely known,but it is believed that it is associated with hormones fluctuations.For a suspected fibroadenoma mammograms are routinely performed for women age 30 and older.For women younger than age 30, the doctor may opt for a breast ultrasound instead of a mammogram to evaluate a breast lump.Radiation used during mammograms is about the same as a dental x-ray, and less than what is needed for a standard chest x-ray.So I don't see any reason to worry about that, since the radiation is minimal and the benefits far outweigh the risk.
Breast ultrasound has excellent contrast resolution,,but it lacks the detail of conventional mammography.Ultrasound is not usually used as a screening tool for breast cancer.Rather,it is used to investigate an abnormality detected by mammography.After all the tests required are studied and the radiologist is pretty sure that the lump in your breast has all the characteristics of a benign fibroadenoma,then there would be no need to remove the lump,because in many cases fibroadenomas could go away on their own within a few years.These benign breast tumors are known to increase in size and tenderness in relation to the menstrual cycles due to hormonal changes and are not related to breast cancer in any way.There are some reports stating that low fat, high fiber diets,limiting caffeine intake ( coffee,chocolate,colas) could decrease incidence of fibroadenoma.
When a Radiologist is certain that the lump is most likely a benign fibroadenoma,then he/she could recommend conservative management with regular follow up to make sure that there are no changes.However,if there is any concern,(mammogram or ultrasound cannot tell if a lump is cancerous or not) then a biopsy of the tumor has to be performed so that the tissue extracted can be examined by a pathologist to obtain a correct diagnosis.