Phyllodes tumors of the breast treated in a tertiary health care center: case series and literature review

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to determine the subtypes of phyllodes tumor (PT) in patients at a single tertiary healthcare center in Lebanon and to describe their characteristics along with a review of the literature. METHODS: This single-institution retrospective cohort study included all cases of PT of the breast treated at the American University of Beirut Medical Center from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2014. The patients’ demographic data, tumor characteristics, treatment data, and pathology reports were analyzed. RESULTS: Thirty patients were enrolled. Their median age was 42 years. In total, 66.7% had benign disease and 22.3% had malignant disease. Twenty-seven patients underwent surgery, four received radiotherapy, and one received systemic chemotherapy after PT progression. Twenty-seven patients had no recurrence at the last follow-up, two had local recurrence, and one had metastatic disease. All three patients with recurrence had an adequate negative surgical margin at the first excision. CONCLUSION: This is the first cohort of patients with PT described in Lebanon and one of few in the Middle East. Our findings provide insight into the epidemiology, treatment modalities, and prognosis of PT in this geographical region.