Fibroadenoma of the breast, medication or surgery?

  Fibroadenoma of the breast has typical clinical signs and clear pathological histological changes and is not difficult to diagnose either clinically or pathologically. Biologically it appears to be a benign hyperplasia with slow growth, which can sometimes grow to a large size.  This benign hyperplasia is a neoplastic hyperplasia and to date, no evidence-based studies have been seen to show that this hyperplasia can be reversed or can be regressed with pharmacological treatment. Therefore, pharmacological treatment is ineffective and surgical excision is currently the only effective treatment.  There are probably two bases for advocating drug treatment: 1. Fibroadenomas are estrogen-dependent, and their onset and growth are related to high estrogen levels or high sensitivity of breast tissue to estrogen, and suppressing estrogen levels through drugs may shrink or eliminate the tumor. This statement seems to have a theoretical basis, but no cases of effective treatment according to this method have been found in clinical practice.  Among the fibroadenomas diagnosed by color ultrasound in recent years, some of them are actually hyperplastic nodules or other benign changes in the breast, and after medication, or without any treatment, when the ultrasound examination is done again after a period of time, the nodules are found to be smaller or disappear. Such examples lack scientific basis and require rigorous and thorough research to prove.  Fibroadenoma occurs mostly in young women, and the effects of medication on estrogen bring more harm to patients, such as affecting endocrine function, possible adverse effects on pregnancy and childbirth, and possible shrinkage and reduction of breasts, which require vigilance.  Fibroadenoma increases with age and the possibility of malignancy. Therefore, patients with fibroadenoma of the breast, young ones can choose the right time to have surgery, while older ones, generally speaking over 35 years old, are best treated with surgery as soon as possible.