Benign phyllodes tumour

What is a phyllodes tumour?

A phyllodes tumour is a hard lump of tissue that can appear anywhere in the breast. It’s thought that it develops naturally as the breast ages and changes.

Once formed a phyllodes tumour may grow quite large, quite quickly.

Although they can affect a woman at any time in her life, phyllodes tumours are most common in women between 40 and 50 who haven’t yet been through the menopause. It’s unlikely that more than one will develop at a time, though it is possible.

Phyllodes tumours are rare and are usually benign (non-cancerous). However, they can sometimes be malignant (cancerous). They are grouped into three types:

• benign
• borderline malignant
• malignant.

A benign phyllodes tumour can come back after it has been removed, although this is unusual. When a benign phyllodes tumour comes back, in rare cases it can change to being borderline malignant or malignant.

If you have a malignant phyllodes tumour or a borderline malignant phyllodes tumour, your specialist will discuss the most suitable treatment with you.

How is it diagnosed?

A phyllodes tumour usually becomes noticeable as a lump in the breast. Your GP is likely to refer you to a breast clinic so a definite diagnosis can be made.

At the breast clinic you will undergo various investigations known as ‘triple assessment’, so that a definite diagnosis can be made. This assessment consists of:

• a breast examination
• a mammogram (breast x-ray) and/or ultrasound scan (which creates a picture of the breast using high-frequency sound waves)
• a fine needle aspiration (FNA) and/or a core biopsy.

You can read more about these tests in our Referral to a breast clinic leaflet.

Sometimes a triple assessment won’t be able to confirm that you have a phyllodes tumour, and so you’ll need an operation to remove the lump to find out what it is.

Treatment

Phyllodes tumours are always treated with surgery. This may be a mastectomy or wide local excision.

The aim of the surgery is to remove all of the tumour and an area of healthy tissue around it, known as clear margins. This is because it's important to have a clear margin of healthy tissue when the lump is removed to reduce the risk of it coming back.

Your specialist will discuss with you the type of surgery you need.

What this means for you

You may feel anxious about having a benign phyllodes tumour. Even though you may feel relieved that it’s a benign condition, you may still worry about it coming back. This is rare, but it’s important to go to any follow-up appointments you’re offered.

It’s also important to continue to be breast aware and go back to your GP if you notice any other changes.