Surgery for Malignant Mesenchymal Tumors of the Breast: A Series of 31 Cases

Abstract

Italian

Thirty-one cases of malignant mesenchymal tumors of the breast were analyzed with the purpose of identifying the most suitable type of surgery to be recommended. All the cases considered underwent pathologic review. Even young women were affected, and menopausal status did not seem to influence the development of mesenchymal tumors. Mammography was of little use for diagnosis. All cases underwent surgery and 26 had an adequate follow-up. In 8 cases a relapse occurred with a mean free interval of 6 months. Total mastectomy was sufficient to provide local control, whereas axillary dissection turned out to be not worthwhile. Postoperative radiotherapy did not improve distant results. Relapses mainly consisted of lung metastases. Fifteen patients were alive, free of disease, at a time ranging from 9 months to 13 years after surgery.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Barnes

Pietruzka

: Sarcomas of the breast. Cancer, 40: 1577–1585, 1977.

Beltaos

Banerjee

T.K.

: Chondrosarcoma of the breast: Report of 2 cases. Am. J. Clin. Pathol., 71: 345–349, 1979.

Berg

J.W.

Jerome

: Stromal sarcomas of the breast. A unified approach to connective tissue sarcomas other than cystosarcoma phyllodes. Cancer, 15: 418–424, 1962.

Bothan

McDonald

J.R.

: Sarcoma of the mammary gland. Surg. Gynecol. Obstet., 107: 55–61, 1958.

Curran

R.C.

Dodge

O.G.

: Sarcoma of the breast with particular reference to its origin from fibroadenoma. J. Clin. Pathol., 15: 1–16, 1962.

Fawcett

F.J.

: Sarcoma of the breast. Br. J. Cancer, 21: 285–294, 1967.

Gross

G.F.

: Angiosarcoma of the breast. Am. Surg., 43: 734–736, 1977.

Haagensen

C.D.

: Diseases of the Breast. 2nd ed., pp. 227–242, 292–323, W.B. Saunders, Philadelphia, 1971.

Hill

R.P.

Stout

A.P.

: Sarcoma of the breast. Arch. Surg., 44: 723–759, 1942.

10.

Hummer

C.D.

Jr. , Burkart

T.J.

: Liposarcoma of the breast: A case of bilateral involvement. Am. J. Surg., 113: 558–561, 1967.

11.

Kaminski

D.L.

Taylor

H.B.

: Stromal sarcoma of the breast. Mo. Med., 69: 672–677, 1972.

12.

Kennedy

Biggart

J.D.

: Sarcoma of the breast. Br. J. Cancer, 21: 635–644, 1977.

13.

Kristensen

P.B.

Kryger

: Liposarcoma of the breast. A case report. Acta Chir. Scand., 144: 193–196, 1978.

14.

Lattes

: Sarcomas of the breast. Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys., 4: 705–708, 1978.

15.

Lattes

: Sarcomas of the breast. JAMA, 201: 531–532, 1967.

16.

Ludgate

C.M.

Anderson

T.J.

: Sarcoma of the female breast. Report of a series of 30 cases. Clin. Oncol., 3: 97–105, 1977.

17.

McDivitt

R.W.

: Tumors of the Breast, 2nd series, Fascicle 2, pp. 117–132. Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington D.C., 1967.

18.

Norris

H.J.

Taylor

H.B.

: Sarcoma and related mesenchymal tumors of the breast. Cancer, 22: 22–28, 1968.

19.

Norris

H.J.

Taylor

H.B.

: Relationship of histologic features to behavior of cystosarcoma phyllodes. Analysis of 94 cases. Cancer, 20: 2090–2099, 1967.

20.

Oberman

H.A.

: Sarcomas of the breast. Cancer, 18: 1233–1243, 1965.

21.

Robersons

G.V.

: Fibrosarcoma of the breast. J. Arkansas Med. Soc., 69: 257–265, 1973.

22.

Rogers

Flo

: Sarcoma of the breast. A report of 22 cases. N. Engl. J. Med., 226: 841–844, 1942.

23.

Sailors

J.S.

: Sarcoma of the breast. Am. J. Cancer, 31: 183–206, 1937.