Margin status impact on recurrence of phyllodes tumors in high-risk groups: a retrospective observational study

Phyllodes tumor (PT) is an fibroepithelial tumor with potential for local recurrence. The optimal margin for surgical resection of PT is still debated, particularly in cases of positive margins. This study aimed to identify the risk factors for phyllodes tumor recurrence and the effect of a free margin on tumor recurrence by considering these risk factors.

This is a retrospective observational study of patients diagnosed with PT who had undergone surgical management. The data were collected from medical records from 2001 to 2020 in the breast clinic of Shahid Motahhari Clinic of Shiraz. Patients were followed up for at least 3 years after the operation to be checked for local recurrence or distant metastasis at regular intervals.

This retrospective study included 319 patients with PT who underwent surgical management. Of these patients, 83.9% (n = 267), 7.6% (n = 24), and 8.5% (n = 27) were classified as benign, borderline, and malignant, respectively. 8.8% of all patients and 7.6% of non-malignant cases experienced local recurrence, and risk factors for recurrence included oral contraceptive use, smoking, size > 4 cm, stromal overgrowth, and stromal cell atypia. A negative surgical margin decreased the prevalence of recurrence in tumors > 4 cm and with stromal overgrowth significantly.

The study found that a negative margin in all patients did not reduce the recurrence rate in benign and borderline phyllodes tumors, suggesting close follow up as a reasonable alternative. However, a negative margin may be effective in reducing recurrence in certain high-risk groups.