OCCURRENCE OF FIBROADENOMAS IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN REFERRED FOR BREAST BIOPSY

OBJECTIVE: To examine the occurrence of breast fibroadenomas in postme nopausal patients referred for breast biopsy. DESIGN: A retrospective review of breast biopsy outcome and of patient demographics, including menstrual and hormonal status. SETTING: The Tucson Breast Center, a l arge outpatient breast cancer detection clinic affiliated with the Uni versity of Arizona Health Sciences Center in Tucson, Arizona. PARTICIP ANTS: All women seen at the Tucson Breast Center between 1985 and 1990 who were referred for breast biopsy. RESULTS: A total of 100 fibroade nomas were found in 709 breast biopsies whose results were known. Fift y-two of these were in premenopausal women and 44 in postmenopausal wo men; the menopausal status of four women was unknown. In postmenopausa l women, 11 of the 44 patients reported hormone use. Fibroadenomas con stituted 20% (39 of 195) of the benign masses and 12% (39 of 339) of a ll breast masses in postmenopausal women. Fibroadenomas constituted 10 % (44 of 447) of all biopsies in postmenopausal women, including those with breast masses, abnormal calcifications, or other lesions. CONCLU SION: Noncalcified fibroadenomas of the breast are not confined to you ng women and may constitute a small but noteworthy proportion of lesio ns coming to breast biopsy in postmenopausal women.