A. S. Moten1, A. J. Goldberg1,2 1Temple University Hospital,Department Of Surgery,Philadelpha, PA, USA 2Temple University School Of Medicine,Philadelpha, PA, USA
Introduction: It has been reported that the characteristics of malignant phyllodes tumors among minorities differs from those of whites.
Methods: The Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Database was used to assess tumor characteristics, treatment and outcomes of minorities with malignant phyllodes tumors diagnosed between 2004 and 2012, and to compare them to whites.
Results: Blacks with malignant phyllodes were significantly more likely to be younger, have nodal metastasis and more extensive tumors than their white counterparts. Furthermore, although partial mastectomy was the predominant surgery type, blacks and other minorities were more likely to undergo modified radical mastectomy than their white counterparts (16% versus 14% versus 9.1%, respectively; p-value 0.01). However, after adjusting for age, stage, number of lymph nodes examined, number of positive lymph nodes identified and surgery type, survival was no worse for blacks (HR: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.42 – 2.30) or other minorities (HR: 0.54; 95% CI: 0.24 – 1.24) compared to whites. Furthermore, when comparing patients who had lymph nodes examined to those whom did not have nodes examined, there was no significant increased risk of death in whites (HR: 1.69; 95% CI: 0.91 – 3.13) or minorities (HR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.25 – 3.49).
Conclusion: Although minorities have more extensive disease with an increased likelihood of nodal metastasis, there appears to be no added survival benefit to performing nodal sampling or dissection, and such practice should cease.