Malignant phyllodes tumors of the breast: a study in clinical practice

Malignant phyllodes tumors are an uncommon breast tumor in clinical practice of surgery. The study population consisted of five consecutive patients. Each patient had complete clinical follow-up with annual mammograms and physical examination in a specialized breast clinic. They were surgically treated for with malignant phyllodes tumor of the breast. All patients are alive and well with a complete follow-up. The first 2 patients had a fine needle aspiration cytology and were surgically treated by a simple mastectomy. The remaining 3 patients were preoperatively diagnosed with core needle biopsy. These 3 patients were treated with a wide excision of the phyllodes tumor with at least a 1-cm margin of normal breast tissue. Mammography was 100% accurate in demonstrating a dense breast mass. In each patient ultrasound suggested heterogeneous internal echoes present in each malignant phyllodes tumor. Fine needle aspiration cytology was of no value in the diagnosis of a phyllodes tumor. Core needle biopsy is highly reliable in establishing a preoperative diagnosis. The most helpful clinical observation of a malignant phyllodes tumor was rapid growth and enlargement, which is frequently noted by the patient.