How is breast fibroadenoma diagnosed and treated?

2023 Author: Alfred Shackley | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 13:14

Fibroadenoma of the mammary gland - a benign tumor, is one of the main signs of nodular mastopathy. The nodes are movable, on palpation you can see how they move freely under the skin. Seals begin to be felt as soon as their dimensions reach 0.2 mm and can grow up to 7 cm in diameter. With pathological proliferation of connective and glandular tissues, breast fibroadenoma is formed.

Breast structure

The female breast consists of:

1. fatty;
2. connecting;
3. glandular tissue.

These organs are attached at the level of 3 and 7 ribs on the anterior surface of the chest symmetrically.

Adipose tissue consists of separate lobules, separated by layers of connective tissue - ducts are formed from glandular tissue through which milk is released during lactation.

The growth of adipose tissue can be boosted by abundant nutrition, the amount of connective tissue depends on the work of the endocrine glands.

The mammary gland is a dense convex disc of 15-20 conical lobules, which in turn consist of alveoli. The lobules are located radially around the nipple. The blood supply is from the internal thoracic and lateral thoracic arteries.

Information about the neoplasm

Symptoms of breast fibroadenoma appear when it reaches a relatively large size. In this case, you can feel heaviness, slight distension in the chest, aching pain during the menstrual cycle.

Small knots do not show themselves in any way.

In mature women, tumors are dense to the touch, have clearly defined edges. Immature neoplasms are soft and elastic to the touch.

The types of fibroadenomas differ in location and histological structure:

• If the neoplasm is located inside the ducts, the tumor is intracanalicular;
• Around the ducts - pericanalicular;
• The encompassing ducts and the surrounding area are mixed;
• In adipose tissue, it is leaf-shaped.

Tumors are formed when the adipose tissue of the glandular and connective tissue is replaced. Leafy fibroadenoma can degenerate into a malignant tumor.

The reasons for the appearance of breast fibroadenoma are internal factors: hormonal disruption and endocrine changes that occur when the body grows up, during pregnancy, and because of the processes taking place in the body under the influence of external influences. The ecological situation, inappropriate nutrition, stressful situations affect the frequency of formation of neoplasms.

Diagnosis and treatment of the disease

It is quite simple to diagnose the appearance of a seal - a preliminary diagnosis is established during examination. In the future, it is confirmed by mammography, ultrasound examination.

1. During a biopsy, a neoplasm is differentiated with other similar diseases: cyst, cancer, cystadenopapiloma. Treatment of breast fibroadenoma is selected based on the clinical picture and histological evaluation of the induration.
2. If the causes of fibroadenoma formation include endocrine diseases, then treatment begins with them. Without correcting the work of the endocrine system, it is impossible to stop the formation of seals.
3. If the neoplasm is small, then in most cases a decision is made on conservative therapy. Although rare, small neoplasms resolve on their own.
4. Whether or not to remove breast fibroadenoma - the doctor decides, after observing the state of the tumor in dynamics.
5. In some cases, it is considered advisable to prescribe hormonal and non-hormonal drugs for resorption of the neoplasm or arresting its increase.
6. Obligatory removal of breast fibroadenoma is necessary if there is a suspicion of the process of degeneration into a malignant tumor, with its growth and during pregnancy planning. It is impossible to predict the transformation - it can begin for absolutely no apparent reason.
7. If a neoplasm appeared during pregnancy against the background of hormonal changes, then it is not removed if there is no risk of developing a malignant process. If a malignant transformation is suspected, the operation is performed after 1 trimester, when the main organs and systems of the fetus have already formed.

Surgical intervention

It is possible to completely get rid of fibroadenoma only with the help of surgical intervention; the drug that causes the opposite process - the degeneration of the glandular and connective tissue into adipose tissue - does not exist.

• Before the operation, a mandatory study is carried out - it is necessary to accurately determine whether there are atypical cells. If they are identified, then surgical intervention is performed by the method of sectorial resection.
• Not only the tumor itself is excised, but the nearby sector within a radius of 2 cm to exclude the risk of degeneration. The excised fragment is sent for histological examination, and a strategy for further treatment is being precisely developed. If the suspicions of a malignant process are confirmed, then the treatment will have to be continued. What will it be, chemotherapy or treatment with radioactive isotopes - the doctor decides.
• When there is no suspicion of breast cancer, the hulling method is used. This type of surgery is most often performed under local anesthesia; the tumor is isolated without affecting the surrounding tissues through a small incision. The aesthetic appearance of the breast and its functionality are preserved. The harvested tissue is also subjected to histological examination to exclude any risks of malignancy.
• After the operation to remove the neoplasm from the mammary gland, therapeutic measures are carried out, the purpose of which is to normalize the hormonal background and increase the immune status.

Can be used:

1. vitamins;
2. immunocorrectors;
3. antiviral;
4. anti-inflammatory drugs.

In some cases, it is advisable to use hormonal drugs.

After the operation, the neoplasm may reappear - removal of the tumor is not a guarantee that the hormonal disruption will not recur.

Traditional medicine in the treatment of mammary glands

Treatment with herbs for breast fibroadenoma should be discussed with your doctor. To normalize the hormonal background, official medicine is often "combined" with traditional methods.

The next decoction stops the growth of neoplasms.

You need to take the following components:

• 1 part each - wormwood, St. John's wort, pine buds, yarrow, St. John's wort, wild rose;
• 4 parts chaga mushroom, brandy, aloe juice;
• 6 parts honey.

First, you need to grind the dried mushroom into powder, then wrap it in cheesecloth, add the rest of the plant components, add enough water to make a thick puree, and simmer the mixture over low heat for about 2 hours. It is very convenient to make a medicine in a multicooker using the “extinguishing” mode.

After the mixture is thoroughly extinguished, it is wrapped in a warm scarf and set to infuse for a day at room temperature.

Then add honey, cognac and aloe juice, mix, remove for 2 days in a dark cool place.

Take a course - it is designed for 3 months. First, before each meal, 1 teaspoon, after a week the dose is gradually increased to a tablespoon and again reduced by the end of the course.

Herbal teas can be used to normalize the general condition. It is very useful to brew equal amounts of mint, valerian root and hop cones in equal amounts to reduce nervous tension, or - a very good recipe - marshmallow root, chamomile flowers, fennel fruits and licorice root. Licorice is a plant that contains phytohormones that act on the body that resemble progesterone.

If there is a suspicion of cancer or breast fibroadenoma progresses, it is treated with folk remedies and it is inappropriate to wait for what this will lead to.

In this case, every day is dear. It is necessary not to waste time and agree to surgery to remove the neoplasm.