Highlights
- •Incidence and outcomes for breast sarcoma in England during 2013–2018.
- •Patients managed in specialist centres had differing outcomes.
- •No difference in survival between radiation and non-radiation induced vascular tumours.
- •We would recommend that all patients with breast sarcoma are discussed at a sarcoma MDT.
Abstract
Background
Breast sarcomas (BS) are rare cancers originating from mesenchymal breast tissue with
a paucity of national population level data detailing their incidence and outcomes.
Methods
We performed an analysis of data collected by National Cancer Registration and Analysis
Service (NCRAS) for patients diagnosed with BS between 2013 and 2018. Chi-square test
was used to compare groups. Overall survival (OS) was calculated by Kaplan–Meier.
Specialist sarcoma centres (SSC) were defined as centres with a sarcoma multidisciplinary
team (MDT).
Results
There were 684 patients with BS (357 malignant phyllodes tumours [PTs], 238 vascular
tumours, 93 other morphology) with a median age of 64 (range 14–96); 187 (27%) had
received breast radiotherapy for a prior malignancy; 633 (92%) had resection of the
tumour within 12 months of diagnosis. Five-year OS was 82%, 54% and 48% in patients
with PT, vascular tumours and other sarcomas, respectively, and 55% for those with
radiation-induced BS. Patients managed within SSC more frequently had a biopsy prior
to surgery 83% versus 72%, p < 0.05) and were less likely to require multiple operations
(26% versus 41%, p < 0.05). Tumour stage and grade data were not available.
Conclusion
This is the first population series evaluating incidence and outcomes for BS. Patients
treated at non-specialist sarcoma centres (NSSCs) are less likely to have a biopsy
prior to surgery and more likely to require multiple operations. Based on these observational
data, we would recommend all BS are discussed at a sarcoma MDT meeting early in their
pathway and surgery to be considered at SSC where possible.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: August 12, 2022
Accepted:
June 15,
2022
Received in revised form:
June 12,
2022
Received:
March 27,
2022
Identification
Copyright
Crown Copyright © 2022 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
