Fibroadenomas are most common benign tumour of the breast, usually affecting pre-menopausal women. The traditional treatment aimed at symptomatic relief and confirmation of the lesion's benign nature through open surgical excision and biopsy. The rise of ‘triple assessment’ in recent years has meant that a definitive benign diagnosis is now generally possible without recourse to open biopsy. But patients would still face undergoing open surgical excision for relief of symptoms. A third option is now available – that of percutaneous vacuum-assisted excision under local anaesthetic. Performed in a similar fashion to conventional percutaneous needle biopsy, the procedure can normally be completed within 15 min and offers quicker recovery times and better cosmetic outcome than traditional excision.
