My daughter is 14 years old. She is diagnosed with a juvenile fibroadenoma. The physician says it's big and that we should take it out. Should we do this? Can we wait? He said there is nothing to worry about. Should I get a second opinion?

D.B.

A fibroadenoma is a benign solid breast tumor -- and I emphasize benign, which means "not cancerous." The odds of a breast lump being cancer in a 14-year-old girl is about a gazillion to one. Removing this large fibroadenoma would be more for cosmetic purposes than for any medical necessity; having one breast appear larger than the other, or having visible distortion due to a large lump, may make your daughter self-conscious.

One can never go wrong in getting a second opinion before undergoing surgery. You should see a surgeon for a second opinion. General surgeons (rather than gynecologists) do breast surgery; if you live in a large metropolitan area, there may also be breast surgeons who do nothing else but breast surgery.