Sarcomas and malignant phyllodes tumours of the breast – A retrospective study

Background: Although most breast cancers are adenocarcinomas of the mammary gland, primary breast sarcomas may also arise from mammary gland mesenchymal tissue. The annual incidence of primary breast sarcoma is low and has been estimated at 45 new cases per 10 million women. These tumours are at high risk of recurrence and are known to have poor prognosis. Phyllodes tumours represent a specific subset of these breast soft tissue tumours. They are composed of a connective tissue stroma and epithelial elements. Pathological presentation ranges from grade I to malignant phyllodes tumours (grade III) where the stromal component clearly exhibits a sarcoma pattern. Materials and Methods: SAPHYR (SArcoma and PHYllode Retrospective) is a retrospective