Background: Phyllodes tumors represent a heterogeneous and minority group of the breast neoplastic pathology. The malignant transformation of a Phyllodes tumor is a rare event, representing less than 1 % of breast tumors.
Methods: Our study analyzed all cases of Phyllodes breast tumors diagnosed in two medical institutions during a period of five years. We compared long term outcome results for the patients who underwent conservative treatment and mastectomy.
Results: The analysis of the histopathological results revealed a number of 39 (0,454 % of all the neoplastic cases studied) malignant Phyllodes tumors. There has been a total of 23 mastectomies, 3 of which were performed palliatively, and in 14 cases a conservatory approach was preferred. Out of 34 patients who benefited from curative intent surgery, 9 developed a local relapse (5 in the conservative procedures group and 4 in the mastectomy group). Discussions: Surgery plays an important role in the successful therapy of Phyllodes tumors. The tumors’ histological type and subtype can influence the outcome and the treatment should be uniquely adapted to each case. Recognizing morphological features which have an important prognostic value and adapting protocols to these features can improve the treatment and outcome of this particular pathology.
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