Fibroadenoma: Meaning in a Radiology Report

A fibroadenoma is a common benign breast lump made of gland and connective tissue. It is usually smooth and oval, and most common in younger women.

What it means

A fibroadenoma is a solid, non-cancerous growth of breast gland and the supporting tissue around it. It is one of the most common breast lumps in teens and women in their 20s and 30s. It often feels smooth, rubbery and easy to move. On ultrasound it is usually oval, smooth-edged, darker than the tissue around it and wider than it is tall. Older ones may contain coarse, popcorn-like calcium on a mammogram.

When it matters

Fibroadenomas are not cancer, and many stay the same size or shrink over time, especially after menopause. Because imaging cannot be completely certain, a lump with typical features is often checked again in about 6 months instead of having a biopsy (BI-RADS 3). A biopsy is more likely if the lump grows quickly, looks unusual, or is new in an older woman. Large or uncomfortable fibroadenomas can be removed.

Questions to ask your doctor

Does it have all the typical features of a fibroadenoma?
Do I need a follow-up ultrasound or a biopsy, and when?
What changes would make you recommend a biopsy later?

General information, not medical advice. What a finding means for you depends on your symptoms, your history and the images themselves, so talk your results through with a doctor.