Fibroadenoma Definition And Cancer Risk - YouTube

>>>Dr. Jay K. Harness: What is the most common lump found in a young woman’s breasts?

The answer is a fibroadenoma.

What is a fibroadenoma?

Fibro, meaning connective or fibrous tissue; adenoma meaning glandular like tissue or the

more medical term is stroma tissue, a kind of connective stuff that is in the breast

and epithelial tissue, the cells that aline the ductal system.

So of all the lumps and bumps that we find in the breast, fibroadenoma is the one of

the most common.

Its peak age in Caucasian women is in their 20s.

Among African, American, Hispanic, and other women of color, can actually start in the

latter part of the teen years.

The fibroadenomas arise out of what is called the terminal ductal lobular units, same place

interestingly that breast cancer arises and it probably arises because of a lot of unopposed

estrogen.

So, when you think about the development of young women there is a lot of unopposed estrogen

as breast are growing, things of this sort are happening, and so its that unopposed estrogen

that is probably a cause of the factor.

So, quite frankly in women in their 20s, as I am sitting in my office, and my assistance

says, I have a 24-year-old with a probable lump in the breast.

I mean I have agreed to her that 95% chance of being right, that it is a benign fibroadenoma.

Now, since these lumps can have a mixture of tissue, if the tissue mixture is benign

and benign then the overall lesion is completely benign.

The fibroadenoma can have some ductal tissue lining inside of it, even sometimes that ductal

tissue can become atypical, and then one of the questions that I have been asked is “Hey!

Can it become cancer?”

In my own personal career, I have had less than half a dozen cases where the ductal cells

are lining the fibroadenoma where early in situ breast cancer, that is really-really

unusual, quite rare actually, and if you find that you really need to make sure there is

no cancer elsewhere in the breast.

The other question that I am commonly asked is “Does having a fibroadenoma increase

my lifetime risk of breast cancer?”

Well, because we do not know what causes fibroadenomas, other than the unopposed estrogen, and we

do not know what causes breast cancer, the answer is in long-term studies is that “Yes”

there is a small increase in lifetime risk of breast cancer perhaps 2.6 relative risk

increase.

If you have had a fibroadenoma at a younger age and then, you know, obviously you need

to be followed very carefully over the rest of your life and you need to be screened regularly

anyway.

Now, if you then combine that with other family history issues or other related things then

perhaps the incidents can go up somewhat higher.

So hopefully if this definition of a fibroadenoma is helpful.

These are benign.

The indication to take them out is that they are getting bigger.

Quite frankly, I just took out a very large one today in a lovely small breasted woman

in her 20s.

We always want to use the maximum sort of cosmetic approach remembering that these are

young beautiful women and we want them to continue to look that way.

Always be cognizant that things in the breast, like a fibroadenoma, may have a small increase

or a lifetime risk of breast cancer as I always say heart healthy as always follow screening

guidelines.

Hi, I am Dr. Jay Harness and I want to share with you an important information that I believe

that every newly diagnosed patient with breast cancer needs to know.

Susan Denver: “I am a breast cancer survivor.”

Katherine Stockton: “I am a breast cancer survivor.”

Coree: “I am a breast cancer survivor…”

Susan Denver: “…and I want every woman to know…”

Katherine Stockton: “…about personalized breast cancer treatment…”

Susan Denver: “…and the Genomic Test.”

Coree: “A test that helps guide a woman and her doctor…”

Katherine Stockton: “…to the best treatment options for her.”

Susan Denver: “Pass it on!”