Fibroadenoma recurrence - or scar tissue?

[CountryMom27]

Last May I discovered a lump in my right breast, at about 4 o'clock, while breastfeeding my youngest. After seeing my midwife, having a u/s and mammogram, I met with a breast surgeon at Yale who said it was likely a fibroadenoma.  I chose to have it removed as it was freaking me out and had gotten larger in the ensuing month.  I had some complications from surgery on a nursing breast - a galactocele and a fistula - but they later healed.

Fast forward, three days ago I discovered another lump, very small, closer to my nipple, not visible from the outside.  The next day I noticed dimpling/shadowing in the skin at the site.  I saw another breast surgeon from Yale yesterday (my first surgeon had left) and he said he was not concerned - it was either a small fibroadenoma or scar tissue.  He did not order a u/s or mammogram, which I questioned.  Instead he wants to see me in three months, and if it changes in the meantime, I'm to call them.

I was very surprised that he didn't at least want to do a u/s.  I really just want this thing out, but I felt a bit dismissed.  I think he is reluctant to perform surgery again on that breast, maybe because I am still nursing (he asked when I would be weaning and I said not anytime soon, and I don't want to wait to wean to do something).  

I'm very confused.  Can scar tissue just appear suddenly six months later?  And would it cause skin discoloration/pulling?  Should I get a second opinion from another surgeon?  Or should I see my MWs and have them order a u/s and mammogram?  Or just let it go and see if it worsens?  

Thank you --

[marshpiper]

It sounds like you're dealing with estrogen issues. I have researched this a lot, as I had a malignant tumor in my left breast that was 5 cm x 4.5 cm x 3 cm from MRI and CT scan last July. I underwent 18 weeks of chemo to no avail, and finally realized from my tests that the tumor was 90% estrogen driven. It took forever but I finally got my oncologist to give me Femara, as a doctor in Miami had told me that Femara in conjunction with Myomin (google that--it balances estrogen and shrinks fibroid tumors) will quite frequently shrink and get rid of tumors that are estrogen driven. I took that and also DIM. After about 3 weeks, the tumor was around 2 cm. I just took a new MRI February 13, and the results are that the tumor is gone. There are only little dots sprinkled around the area.

Myomin is $31 a bottle. I take 3 capsules 3x a day. There are no bad side effects. DIM is made mostly from a concentrated form of broccoli and other things. Info is readily available on the Internet.

Another thing you may want to google is turmeric. MD Anderson is doing clinical trials on it as a cure for cancer. . . AND Alzheimers.

Take care. I wish you the best.

True (true.***@****)

[CountryMom27]

Thanks so much for the info.  I hope it is just scar tissue but the shape of it has changed, the dimpling is more pronounced, and it seems larger.  I'm headed on vacation and am still waiting for my appt so hopefully we'll know in about a month or so if I'm going to need a biopsy.  

Thanks also for the support!

[Computer_Voice]

Fibroadenomas could recur, and usually women who have the recipe to make one fibroadenoma tend to make additional ones, at least untill menopause when they should get smaller or at least not grow much.  Pregnancy is a big estrogen surge which may make a tiny fibroadenoma become larger.  Scar tissue is far and away the most likely explanation for your symptoms if it is in the area of the surgery.  I would have it imaged with a mammogram and ultrasound, nonetheless, especially since estrogen causes bad things to grow as much as it causes benign things to grow.  Imaging of a postsurgical scar is tricky and can look bad when it really is not, which might explain the surgeon's reluctance.  Make sure they do it at Yale.

[CountryMom27]

Follow up - I talked to my uncle, who is a noted physician, and he recommended that I insist on the mammogram & ultrasound.  I asked to have it done at a facility near me, but my surgeon recommended I have it done there, and I can see them again while I'm there.  They wanted me to wait until the start of March, but I'm going to go in 2 weeks - I just don't want to wait on this.  Plus it seems in the past few days that the lump has become a bit more pronounced and the dimpling more visible.

It's going to be a process, I know, as I'm sure it's not a cyst so the mammo will come back "questionable" and we'll have to do a biopsy.  Rather than do a core needle, I'll probably choose to have it removed again.

Has anyone had experience with recurring fibroadenomas?  I could really use some support - thanks!!