Breast Lump..Need HelP

Hi, I'm 21 years old and I have discovered a breast lump in my left breast...its a fairly large lump...my mammogram and ultrasound results said it was 3.6 cm..I just went to my surgeons office today and they performed another ultrasound and there was alot of shadowing, then...he said he is "PRETTY SURE" its a fibroadenoma...he decided to not do a biopsy and told me to come back in 6 months...I guess my question would be is this normal? I keep coming across story after story of women my age getting told that it was just a fibroadenoma to come back and then they end up finding out its cancer...?

Meg

[Cleveland Clinic]

Dear Meg:  A fibroadenoma is a benign (non-cancerous) growth. Fibrooadenomas are distinct on a mammogram or ultrasound and when aspirated - no fluid comes out. As long as the doctor is sure it is a fibroadenoma, there is no need to remove the lump. In 50% of the cases fibroadenomas will go away on their own within 5 years. In others, the life of a fibroadenoma is about 15 years. In teenagers - the tendency is not to remove fibroadenomas. In middle age women, the tendency is to remove the fibroadenomas to be sure they are, in fact, fibroadenomas.  So depending on the individual situation, putting the findings in context, a suspected fibroadenoma might be biopsied to be sure of what it is. An ultrasound cannot always make a diagnosis of fibroadenoma with certainty.