Breast Lumps - Fibroadenosis

Fibroadenosis also known by other names such as fibrocystic disease of breast or mammary dysplasia or chronic cystic mastitis.

A biopsy of these lumps usually reveals fibrosis, adenosis, epitheliosis and cyst formation.

It usually presents in the reproductive age of a women – 25 to 35 or 40 years.

The usual common presentation is as a breast lump or pain in the breast (mastalgia). The pain or lump may occur just before the menstrual periods and then disappear.

Sometimes it is not so much lump but an induaration or nodularity of the breast.This cyclical presentation is due to the influence of the sex hormones on the breast tissue of the women.

The whole spectrum of benign breast disease is now thought to be ‘Aberrations of Normal Development and Involution (ANDI).’

Malignant potential of Fibroadenosis is non existent except for a subtype of fibroadenosis called –

Atypical ductal or lobular epithelial hyperplasia (ADH or ALH)

This type is associated with four times increased risk of malignancy in compared to the general population. This risk increases eight fold if there is positive family history of breast cancer. Regular mammogram, ultrasound and sometimes Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) or trucut biopsy maybe required. These woman are candidates for regular screening for breast cancer. These woman benefit by a course of Tamoxifen for 5 years as it reduces the risk by more than 50%.