Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesSee a DoctorDiagnosisTypesTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
See a Doctor
Diagnosis
Types
Treatment
Breastfibroadenomasare benign (noncancerous), painless breast lumps. Often described as moveable, round, rubbery, and smooth, fibroadenomas affect one in four premenopausal people.
Most fibroadenomas shrink on their own over time. Treatment is unnecessary unless they are large, fast-growing, or cause bothersome symptoms.
This article explains what you need to know about breast fibroadenomas, how they are diagnosed, and what to do about them.
Brianna Gilmartin / Verywell
Fibroadenoma Symptoms
Typically, the only symptom of a fibroadenoma is a small lump in the breast that is:
Fibroadenomas may feel tender or painful, especially right before your period.
Most fibroadenomas are between 1 and 5 centimeters in diameter (0.39 inches to nearly 2 inches), but large fibroadenomas can be the size of a small lemon—about 15 centimeters (5.9 inches).
Fibroadenomas change in size during your menstrual cycle due to varying hormone levels. A fibroadenoma may become more noticeable or shrink to the point where it is not easily detected.
What Are Breast Mice?Fibroadenomas are sometimes referred to as “breast mice.” They are so moveable they seem to run away from your fingers.
What Are Breast Mice?
Fibroadenomas are sometimes referred to as “breast mice.” They are so moveable they seem to run away from your fingers.
What Causes Fibroadenomas?
Risk Factors
Fibroadenomas are most common in people with a uterus between 15 and 30 years old.Risk factors for developing a fibroadenoma include:
When to See a Healthcare Provider
How Breast Fibroadenomas Are Diagnosed
A fibroadenoma may first be discovered on physical examination or during a routine screening mammogram, which often leads to additional testing.
Mammogram
On a mammogram, fibroadenomas appear as round or oval smooth-edged masses. The outline will be clearly defined, not blurry, and not invade the adjacent spaces.
Ultrasound
Breast ultrasoundis used to evaluate breast lumps. On ultrasound, a fibroadenoma will be easier to distinguish from other tissue because of the way it responds to sound waves.
Fibroadenomas will appear as a dark area with a definite outline. It will look homogeneous (the same throughout), round or oval, and may have smooth-edged bumps.
3D Mammogram
Your doctor may also order digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), a specialized form of mammography that creates 3D images of the breast and allows a more detailed evaluation than a regular mammogram.
Biopsy
While imaging tests may suggest a fibroadenoma, the conclusive diagnostic test is usually abreast biopsy, a procedure to remove a sample of tissue for examination in a lab.
Different types of biopsy procedures include:
The type your healthcare provider chooses will depend on the characteristics of the lump, its location, and other factors. In you have an increased risk for breast cancer, your healthcare provider may strongly recommend surgical removal.
As with any biopsy, breast biopsies carry a risk of a false-negative result; that is, the test detects no cancer when cancer is actually present. This is because a breast biopsy may only sample one part of a lump and could miss the cancerous portion.
For this reason, you should continue routine breast cancer screening even if you have had a benign biopsy.
What to Expect During a Breast Biopsy
Types of Fibroadenoma
Your healthcare provider will also be able to identify the type of fibroadenoma you have. Breast fibroadenomas come in two different types:
Can Fibroadenomas Become Cancerous?No, fibroadenomas are benign and cannot turn into cancer. Simple fibroadenomas do not carry an increased risk of breast cancer. Complex fibroadenomas are associated with a slightly higher breast cancer risk, however, studies show complex fibroadenomas are more common in people with other breast cancer risk factors.
Can Fibroadenomas Become Cancerous?
No, fibroadenomas are benign and cannot turn into cancer. Simple fibroadenomas do not carry an increased risk of breast cancer. Complex fibroadenomas are associated with a slightly higher breast cancer risk, however, studies show complex fibroadenomas are more common in people with other breast cancer risk factors.
Breast Fibroadenoma Treatment
Fibroadenomas are considered benign and do not need always need treatment. They are responsive to female hormones, may enlarge during pregnancy or with estrogen therapy, and shrink or disappear after menopause.
Masses that are large, fast-growing, or cause symptoms can be removed with surgery or another medical procedure.
Watch and Wait
Since fibroadenomas are not always troublesome and sometimes shrink on their own, keeping an eye on their progress is the least invasive way to handle them.
If a fibroadenoma causes pain, over-the-counter pain medications and applied heat can usually help.
Laser Ablation
In your surgeon’s office, an ultrasound-guided laser device destroys the fibroadenoma, leaving behind only a tiny scar, no sutures, and no change in breast shape. You don’t need general anesthesia, and it’s usually an outpatient procedure, which means no hospital stay.
Cryoablation
Cryoablationis a fast, efficient way to freeze a fibroadenoma. In one office visit, the healthcare provider freezes the lump so that healthy tissue can take over. This procedure takes less than 30 minutes and results in a tiny scar.
Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)
This is a way to remove fibroadenomas without resorting to a lumpectomy. Usinglocal anesthesiaand ultrasound guidance, a 6- to 8-millimeter (about 1/4 inch to nearly 1/3 inch) cut is made above the fibroadenoma.
Vacuum-Assisted Excision
Breast biopsy systems can now be used as a primarily noninvasive way to remove small fibroadenomas. In less than an hour, and under local anesthesia, a 6-millimeter (1/4 inch) cut is made over the fibroadenoma. Then, with ultrasound guidance, a probe is threaded into the lump, which vacuums out sections of the tissue. Recovery is quick, and your scar will be quite small.
High-Frequency Focused Ultrasound (HFU)
This relatively new treatment has been used for fibroadenomas and, sometimes, even breast cancer.HFU appears to cause the selective destruction of deep tissues without damaging surrounding healthy tissue.
Lumpectomy
Surgical removal can be done if you’re worried about a fibroadenoma. Depending on the relative size of the lump and your breast, alumpectomymay cause a change in your breast’s size or shape.
Summary
Breast fibroadenomas are the most common type of noncancerous (benign) breast tumor. Often found in premenopausal women during a breast self-exam, they can also be detected on imaging with mammography or ultrasound. A biopsy is the only way to ensure that a breast lump is a fibroadenoma.
Most fibroadenomas are considered simple and are not associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Some fibroadenomas are considered complex because their cells look unusual under a microscope. Women with complex fibroadenomas have an increased risk of developing breast cancer and may require careful monitoring for signs of developing cancer.
Proven fibroadenomas may not need treatment unless they are large, fast-growing, or cause bothersome symptoms. Various ablation techniques can be used to shrink or destroy problematic lumps. Very large fibroadenomas may need to be surgically removed.
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Stachs A, Stubert J, Reimer T, Hartmann S.Benign breast disease in women.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2019;116(33-34):565–74. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2019.0565American Cancer Society.Fibroadenomas.Ajmal M, Khan M, Van Fossen K.Breast Fibroadenoma. Treasure Island, FL: StatPearls Publishing. Updated October 6, 2022.Papathemelis T, Heim S, Lux MP, Erhardt I, Scharl A, Scharl S.Minimally invasive breast fibroadenoma excision using an ultrasound-guided vacuum-assisted biopsy device.Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd. 2017;77(2):176-181. doi:10.1055/s-0043-100387Ece B, Aydın S.Imaging of fibroadenoma: Be careful with imaging follow-up.World J Clin Cases. 2022;10(25):9176–9. doi:10.12998/wjcc.v10.i25.9176Tan PH.Fibroepithelial lesions revisited: implications for diagnosis and management.Mod Pathol.2021;34:15–37. doi:/10.1038/s41379-020-0583-3Nassar A, Visscher DW, Degnim AC, et al.Complex fibroadenoma and breast cancer risk: a Mayo Clinic Benign Breast Disease Cohort Study.Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2015;153(2):397-405. doi:10.1007/s10549-015-3535-8Peek M, Douek M.Ablative techniques for the treatment of benign and malignant breast tumours.J Ther Ultrasound. 2017;5:18. doi:10.1186/s40349-017-0097-8Li P, Xiao-Yin T, Cui D, et al.Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation for treating multiple breast fibroadenoma.J Cancer Res Ther. 2016;12(Supplement):C138-C142. doi:10.4103/jcrt.JCRT_966_16Rupa R, Kushvaha S.Vacuum-assisted excision, scarless solution for fibroadenoma breast—a single-center experience.Indian J Radiol Imaging. 2021;31(4):844–9. doi:10.1055/s-0041-1735651Peek MCL, Ahmed M, Scudder J, et al.High-intensity focused ultrasound in the treatment of breast fibroadenomata (HIFU-F trial).Int J Hyperthermia.2018;34(7):1002-1009. doi:10.1080/02656736.2017.1373865Cavallo Marincola B, Pediconi F, Anzidei M, et al.High-intensity focused ultrasound in breast pathology: non-invasive treatment of benign and malignant lesions.Expert Rev Med Devices. 2015;12(2):191-199. doi:10.1586/17434440.2015.986096
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Stachs A, Stubert J, Reimer T, Hartmann S.Benign breast disease in women.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2019;116(33-34):565–74. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2019.0565American Cancer Society.Fibroadenomas.Ajmal M, Khan M, Van Fossen K.Breast Fibroadenoma. Treasure Island, FL: StatPearls Publishing. Updated October 6, 2022.Papathemelis T, Heim S, Lux MP, Erhardt I, Scharl A, Scharl S.Minimally invasive breast fibroadenoma excision using an ultrasound-guided vacuum-assisted biopsy device.Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd. 2017;77(2):176-181. doi:10.1055/s-0043-100387Ece B, Aydın S.Imaging of fibroadenoma: Be careful with imaging follow-up.World J Clin Cases. 2022;10(25):9176–9. doi:10.12998/wjcc.v10.i25.9176Tan PH.Fibroepithelial lesions revisited: implications for diagnosis and management.Mod Pathol.2021;34:15–37. doi:/10.1038/s41379-020-0583-3Nassar A, Visscher DW, Degnim AC, et al.Complex fibroadenoma and breast cancer risk: a Mayo Clinic Benign Breast Disease Cohort Study.Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2015;153(2):397-405. doi:10.1007/s10549-015-3535-8Peek M, Douek M.Ablative techniques for the treatment of benign and malignant breast tumours.J Ther Ultrasound. 2017;5:18. doi:10.1186/s40349-017-0097-8Li P, Xiao-Yin T, Cui D, et al.Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation for treating multiple breast fibroadenoma.J Cancer Res Ther. 2016;12(Supplement):C138-C142. doi:10.4103/jcrt.JCRT_966_16Rupa R, Kushvaha S.Vacuum-assisted excision, scarless solution for fibroadenoma breast—a single-center experience.Indian J Radiol Imaging. 2021;31(4):844–9. doi:10.1055/s-0041-1735651Peek MCL, Ahmed M, Scudder J, et al.High-intensity focused ultrasound in the treatment of breast fibroadenomata (HIFU-F trial).Int J Hyperthermia.2018;34(7):1002-1009. doi:10.1080/02656736.2017.1373865Cavallo Marincola B, Pediconi F, Anzidei M, et al.High-intensity focused ultrasound in breast pathology: non-invasive treatment of benign and malignant lesions.Expert Rev Med Devices. 2015;12(2):191-199. doi:10.1586/17434440.2015.986096
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Stachs A, Stubert J, Reimer T, Hartmann S.Benign breast disease in women.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2019;116(33-34):565–74. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2019.0565American Cancer Society.Fibroadenomas.Ajmal M, Khan M, Van Fossen K.Breast Fibroadenoma. Treasure Island, FL: StatPearls Publishing. Updated October 6, 2022.Papathemelis T, Heim S, Lux MP, Erhardt I, Scharl A, Scharl S.Minimally invasive breast fibroadenoma excision using an ultrasound-guided vacuum-assisted biopsy device.Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd. 2017;77(2):176-181. doi:10.1055/s-0043-100387Ece B, Aydın S.Imaging of fibroadenoma: Be careful with imaging follow-up.World J Clin Cases. 2022;10(25):9176–9. doi:10.12998/wjcc.v10.i25.9176Tan PH.Fibroepithelial lesions revisited: implications for diagnosis and management.Mod Pathol.2021;34:15–37. doi:/10.1038/s41379-020-0583-3Nassar A, Visscher DW, Degnim AC, et al.Complex fibroadenoma and breast cancer risk: a Mayo Clinic Benign Breast Disease Cohort Study.Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2015;153(2):397-405. doi:10.1007/s10549-015-3535-8Peek M, Douek M.Ablative techniques for the treatment of benign and malignant breast tumours.J Ther Ultrasound. 2017;5:18. doi:10.1186/s40349-017-0097-8Li P, Xiao-Yin T, Cui D, et al.Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation for treating multiple breast fibroadenoma.J Cancer Res Ther. 2016;12(Supplement):C138-C142. doi:10.4103/jcrt.JCRT_966_16Rupa R, Kushvaha S.Vacuum-assisted excision, scarless solution for fibroadenoma breast—a single-center experience.Indian J Radiol Imaging. 2021;31(4):844–9. doi:10.1055/s-0041-1735651Peek MCL, Ahmed M, Scudder J, et al.High-intensity focused ultrasound in the treatment of breast fibroadenomata (HIFU-F trial).Int J Hyperthermia.2018;34(7):1002-1009. doi:10.1080/02656736.2017.1373865Cavallo Marincola B, Pediconi F, Anzidei M, et al.High-intensity focused ultrasound in breast pathology: non-invasive treatment of benign and malignant lesions.Expert Rev Med Devices. 2015;12(2):191-199. doi:10.1586/17434440.2015.986096
Stachs A, Stubert J, Reimer T, Hartmann S.Benign breast disease in women.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2019;116(33-34):565–74. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2019.0565
American Cancer Society.Fibroadenomas.
Ajmal M, Khan M, Van Fossen K.Breast Fibroadenoma. Treasure Island, FL: StatPearls Publishing. Updated October 6, 2022.
Papathemelis T, Heim S, Lux MP, Erhardt I, Scharl A, Scharl S.Minimally invasive breast fibroadenoma excision using an ultrasound-guided vacuum-assisted biopsy device.Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd. 2017;77(2):176-181. doi:10.1055/s-0043-100387
Ece B, Aydın S.Imaging of fibroadenoma: Be careful with imaging follow-up.World J Clin Cases. 2022;10(25):9176–9. doi:10.12998/wjcc.v10.i25.9176
Tan PH.Fibroepithelial lesions revisited: implications for diagnosis and management.Mod Pathol.2021;34:15–37. doi:/10.1038/s41379-020-0583-3
Nassar A, Visscher DW, Degnim AC, et al.Complex fibroadenoma and breast cancer risk: a Mayo Clinic Benign Breast Disease Cohort Study.Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2015;153(2):397-405. doi:10.1007/s10549-015-3535-8
Peek M, Douek M.Ablative techniques for the treatment of benign and malignant breast tumours.J Ther Ultrasound. 2017;5:18. doi:10.1186/s40349-017-0097-8
Li P, Xiao-Yin T, Cui D, et al.Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation for treating multiple breast fibroadenoma.J Cancer Res Ther. 2016;12(Supplement):C138-C142. doi:10.4103/jcrt.JCRT_966_16
Rupa R, Kushvaha S.Vacuum-assisted excision, scarless solution for fibroadenoma breast—a single-center experience.Indian J Radiol Imaging. 2021;31(4):844–9. doi:10.1055/s-0041-1735651
Peek MCL, Ahmed M, Scudder J, et al.High-intensity focused ultrasound in the treatment of breast fibroadenomata (HIFU-F trial).Int J Hyperthermia.2018;34(7):1002-1009. doi:10.1080/02656736.2017.1373865
Cavallo Marincola B, Pediconi F, Anzidei M, et al.High-intensity focused ultrasound in breast pathology: non-invasive treatment of benign and malignant lesions.Expert Rev Med Devices. 2015;12(2):191-199. doi:10.1586/17434440.2015.986096
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