Extreme delay in care for enlarging breast mass

Abstract

Phyllodes tumor (PT) of the breast is an uncommon fibroepithelial tumor accounting for 0.37% of primary breast cancers. Most PT are <5.0 cm, averaging 4-7 cm. We present a case of PT measuring 28 cm in diameter with an extreme computed tomography image with tumor size larger than the adjacent thoracic circumference. A 59-year-old uninsured woman without significant medical history presented with a massive ulcerated chest wall tumor. The mass was resected, and microscopic examination demonstrated spindled cells within a myxoid stroma, consistent with PT. Copyright © 2009 by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer.