Phyllodes tumor of the breast: case series of 40 patients

Cystosarcoma phyllodes is a rare, uncommon fibroepithelial tumor of the breast. We analyzed the clinical situation in relation to the histopathologic findings. Forty types of surgery, recurrences, histopathologic diagnosis and follow-up of patients were studied retrospectively. Histopathologic examination results were evaluated by logistic regression analysis. Surgery was performed on all patients as the initial treatment. At the first examination 38 cases were evaluated as benign and the remaining two as malignant. Recurrent tumors were seen in nine (22.5%) cases during follow-up with a mean recurrence time of 30.1 months. Five of the recurrent cases were evaluated as malign. The total number of malignant cases reached seven (17.5%). In statistical analysis evidence of tumor necrosis, stromal atypism, stromal cellularity, number of mitoses and stromal overgrowth were found to be significantly correlated with malignancy (p < 0.05). Recurrences were also significantly correlated with stromal cellularity, stromal overgrowth, necrosis and malignancy (p < 0.05). Cystosarcoma phyllodes recur with a high incidence and may transform to malignant disease. The patients should be followed strictly in order to detect recurrence earlier.