Clinicopathological Features and Prognosis of Primary Breast Sarcoma: A Single Centre Retrospective Study

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to describe clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes of primary breast sarcoma (PBS) and the relevance of clinical and pathological characteristics with the outcomes.

Methodology:

Study Design: Retrospective longitudinal study

Place and duration of study: Department of Medical Oncology Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre Lahore from January 1995 to August 2021.

Patients aged 18 years and older were included in the study. Individuals with primary or secondary angiosarcoma or cystosarcoma phyllodes were not included. The hospital information system was used for collecting data, and data was collected for 27 patients meeting inclusion study criteria.

Results: Twenty-seven patients were treated with surgery, seven out of 27 patients (25.90%) received adjuvant chemotherapy and 2 patients (7.40%) received chemotherapy on a palliative intent. The remaining (66.70%, n=18) did not receive chemotherapy. Twenty-four out of 27 patients (88.90%) received radiation therapy; intent was adjuvant in the entire cohort. Median PFS was 18 months with 74.01% of patients having no progression at their last follow-up. The median OS was 23 months. Adjuvant radiotherapy was associated with a significant overall survival benefit (P-value: 0.05). Adjuvant chemotherapy was not associated with a significant survival benefit (P-value: 0.5). Age, tumor size, and disease status (localized disease) conferred a non-significant trend towards a better outcome.

Conclusion: Adjuvant radiotherapy is the only factor that affects the outcomes of this disease. Further multicentred and preferably prospective studies with a larger number of patients are required to define disease characteristics and patient outcomes of primary breast sarcoma in Pakistan.

Keywords: clinical characteristics, outcomes, prognosis, primary breast sarcoma (PBS)