Phyllodes tumors of the breast: Analysis of 35 cases from a single institution.

BACKGROUND: Phyllodes tumors are rare fibroepithelial breast tumors with diverse biological behavior. Our study aim is to review the clinico-pathological features, prognostic factors and treatment outcome for patients presenting with phyllodes tumors of the breast to the Kuwait Cancer Control Center (KCCC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and pathological data of 35 women of histologically proved phyllodes tumors of the breast retrieved between January 1994 and December 2012.

RESULTS: The median age was 40years (21-63years). The median pathological tumor size was 6.8cm (3-25cm). Histologically, one patient (3%) presented with benign, 13 (37%) with borderline and 21 (60%) with malignant phyllodes. Twenty-eight patients (80%) were premenopausal. Twenty (57%) were ultimately treated with mastectomy (3 borderline, and 17 malignant) and 15 (43%) with conservative surgery (1 benign, 10 borderline and 4 malignant). Axillary staging was carried out in 9 patients (1 borderline and 8 malignant), none of them had nodal metastasis. Four patients with malignant phyllodes received postoperative radiotherapy. After a median follow-up period of 52months (range 5-211months), 5 developed local recurrence (1 benign, 2 borderline and 2 malignant). One patient with malignant phyllodes developed distant lung metastasis. The overall 5-year relapse free survival (RFS) was 74% (68% for borderline and 84% for malignant phyllodes). According to the treatment modality, the 5-year RFS was 69% for conservative surgery compared to 87% for mastectomy. It was 100% for irradiated patients versus 71% for non irradiated patients.

CONCLUSION: Phyllodes tumors are rare tumors that occur in relatively young women, when compared with the classical adenocarcinoma of the breast. They have a tendency to reach large sizes with absence of nodal metastasis. Although surgery is the mainstay of management, postoperative radiotherapy also appears to decrease the local recurrence rates in certain presentations.