Question: My wife's mammography turned up a papilloma. Her doctor said it isn't cancerous, but is recommending we remove it. How serious is it?

Dr. Hibberd's answer:

It depends where this “papilloma” is. A papilloma of the breast is usually a superficial lesion of skin. As long as this is a papilloma of skin, you may elect to have it removed by cryotherapy. Some papillomas of skin go away on their own ( but not very often in my experience).

If it is confirmed as benign, aggressive removal is not mandatory. Most patients prefer to have breast lumps located within breast tissue, removed or at least biopsied, even if they are suspected of being benign, just so they can go on without worrying.

Never rely upon a mammogram for anything but for identifying characteristics that may be benign or may be malignant. Its best role is as a screening tool, not as a diagnostic tool.