Hi,
I’m 23 years old and have a history of fibroadenomas. In June 2013 the midwife I go to for my annual appointment felt a lump in my right breast, she sent me to get an ultrasound and a total of 3 lumps were found varying in location of my right breast and ranging from 1 to 4cm. They were unable to definitely determine if they were definitely cysts or fibroadenomas so an ultrasound guided needle biopsy was scheduled for soon after. The biopsy took much longer than planned as my breasts were extremely dense and they could not get a piece of one of the lumps. The doctor felt it was too close to my chest wall and did not want to continue to basically stab at it (how I felt it was happening). I was a mess after the biopsy, mainly just exhausted and overwhelmed at how painful and stressful it had been when I really thought it would just be three quick needle stabs. The two they got samples from came back as benign and it was recommended I monitor the third for any changes. I was young (a bit stupid) and scared and did not go back to the doctor for a check up until April 2014. The third unbiopsied lump had changed and another biopsy was scheduled. The doctor once again had trouble getting the biopsy but claimed he had gotten a sample. They called and told me it was benign and I was relieved and glad it was all over. But a few days later another doctor had taken a look and said it came back as just regular breast tissue and they had not gotten a sample of the lump. A surgery was scheduled to get a proper biopsy since my breast tissue was too dense for the needle biopsies. In May I got the surgery, which was much different than the surgeon prepared me for. She had trouble getting through my tissue and it left me with a much larger incision than planned. The biopsy came back as another fibroadenoma, as I had assumed it was. I am obviously prone to these and they are benign which is wonderful but this process is getting old. I have scars all over my right breast from the needle biopsies and a large incision scar that healed really badly.
Now I am unsure of how to proceed. My breasts are too dense for mammograms and I recently just found a new lump in my right breast. I honestly don’t even want to report it to my doctor because the chances are it is another fibroadenoma and I don’t have the time or money to go through this process again. I haven’t even finished paying off the past surgery. I am just looking for advice. I’m anxious ignoring it because of obvious reasons but I don’t know that I would even agree to another biopsy if I did report it. In the meantime my left breast has never even had an ultrasound and I often getting anxious that there is something in there too.
Are there other options I can go to? Is there a way to decrease the chance of developing fibroadenomas? Can I avoid needle biopsies and know for sure it is benign? Any advice would be wonderful. I have aunts and a great grandmother who have had breast cancer and my cousin is struggling with it right now so I hate ignoring symptoms but I really don’t believe any lumps I am developing will be cancerous. Will my likelihood of developing these decrease at a certain age?
Thank you so much in advance.