I found a lump while I was showering (a couple of years ago). Not one to wait around, I went to the doctor that day, was referred for a mamogram, had the ultrasound and the needle biopsy. Everyone seemed to think it was not a fibroadenoma because of how it felt and did not move around. However, the core needle biopsy showed it was a benign lump.

I went home and did lots of research and discovered that the error rate on core needle biopsies was 5%. Not wanting to be in that 5% and find out years later that it was cancer, I went back to the doctor and had the lump removed. I told them to slice it and dice it and test the heck out of it, and it still came back benign. That was a relief! Now I can relax and not worry about that 5%; I think that would have nagged at the back of my mind.

By the way, that was my one and only fibroadenoma that I am aware of. I'm not saying you should have them all removed, especially if you have a history of them and they've all been benign, I'm just saying I needed to so I could feel better about the whole thing. Or maybe I just don't trust test results.

On a funny note, I had my first mammogram when I was in my late 20's. My doctor wanted a baseline for the future. When I called the office for the results, the secretary told me I had Mammary Dysplasia. That scared the heck out of me! So I asked her what it was, and she said "I think it means you have small breasts."

Well I knew they were small, but to have the doctor's office make it official was the worst. I found out later that's not what it means at all! It just meant I have dense tissue and it's so common that it's pretty much considered normal.