Every year hundreds of thousand of women find a lump in their breast. Most will receive the very welcome news that their tumor is benign or non-cancerous. In fact, approximately 80% of all breast biopsies result in a benign diagnosis with the most common type of tumor being a fibroadenoma.

Fibroadenomas commonly occur in teenagers and women aged 20 to 30. They are formed from an overgrowth of normal breast tissue and may continue to grow larger over time. Frequently women will develop more than one tumor.

If you have recently been diagnosed with a benign breast tumor, you are probably asking: What next? Historically, women have had two primary choices. They could either do nothing and simply monitor the tumor or they could choose to have it surgically removed. Today an exciting new, non-surgical removal option called cryoablation, or extreme cold therapy is also available.

Most women with a benign fibroadenoma prefer to have it removed citing one or more of the following reasons:

• Pain
• Fear of future malignancy
• The anxiety of a palpable lump
• The tendency of the fibroadenoma to grow rapidly during pregnancy
• The need for frequent monitoring

If you have decided on removal of your fibroadenoma, it is nice to know you now have a choice. Ultrasound guided cryoablation is a minimally-invasive treatment alternative which unlike surgery preserves the original shape and size of the breast.

The procedure is best performed on fibroadenomas under 3 cm in diameter. No general anesthesia or stitches are required and normal activity can be resumed within 24 hours.

The procedure is performed entirely on an outpatient basis and is frequently covered by insurance. It starts by inserting a small ultrasound-guided probe in a tiny, 3mm incision in the breast. The probe then freezes and destroys the tumor, surrounding it in a ball of ice.

The entire procedure takes just 20 to 30 minutes. The destroyed tissue is absorbed into the body over time and can generally no longer be felt within 12 months. To date, there have been no reported re-growths in more than 2,000 procedures.

Ultrasound guided cryoablation is performed at both our East and West locations. To qualify for the procedure, the diagnosis of benign fibroadenoma must first be confirmed by a biopsy.

As always the best source of information about your health is your doctor. We encourage you to discuss all your options with your physician to make an informed decision.