How does fibroadenoma behave during pregnancy and menopause?

How does fibroadenoma behave during pregnancy and menopause?

• A. Growth slows during pregnancy
• B. Growth rapid during pregnancy and regresses after menopause
• C. No change during pregnancy or menopause
• D. Only occurs during pregnancy

Answer: (B)

Fibroadenomas are hormone-sensitive benign breast tumors. The rise in estrogen and progesterone during pregnancy stimulates breast tissue, so fibroadenomas commonly enlarge rapidly during pregnancy. After menopause, estrogen levels fall, reducing this hormonal stimulation, and many fibroadenomas shrink or stop growing. Therefore, rapid growth in pregnancy with regression after menopause is the typical pattern. The other patterns—no change during pregnancy, or growth only during pregnancy, or appearance only during pregnancy—don’t fit the usual hormone-driven behavior.

Fibroadenomas are hormone-sensitive benign breast tumors. The rise in estrogen and progesterone during pregnancy stimulates breast tissue, so fibroadenomas commonly enlarge rapidly during pregnancy. After menopause, estrogen levels fall, reducing this hormonal stimulation, and many fibroadenomas shrink or stop growing. Therefore, rapid growth in pregnancy with regression after menopause is the typical pattern. The other patterns—no change during pregnancy, or growth only during pregnancy, or appearance only during pregnancy—don’t fit the usual hormone-driven behavior.