Definition of Term
- Benign – Not cancerous; no threat to the body
- Fibroadenoma – Fibro , fibrous tissue; adeno , pertaining to gland; oma , tumor
- Malignant – Cancerous; a threat to the body
Fibroadenoma is a benign, firm tumor found most often in women 20 to 40 years old. It is the most frequently occurring tumor in younger women. It feels very slick and glassy and is not anchored in surrounding tissues, causing it to be very mobile in the breast. The tumor feels as if it will slip out from under your fingers because of the smooth outer surface of the lump. Pain is usually not involved unless the tumor is very large and begins to put pressure on other areas of the breast. To make sure that the tumor is a fibroadenoma and not cancer, a mammogram and biopsy are often performed. Although they very seldom become malignant, the tumor may need to be removed from the breast, even though it is harmless, because of the risk of masking cancer elsewhere in the breast.