Utilization of radiotherapy for malignant phyllodes tumors: analysis of the National Cancer Data Base, 1998-2009.

Background Malignant phyllodes tumors of the breast have traditionally been treated with surgical excision. Recently, the use of adjuvant radiotherapy has been advocated to reduce the risk of local recurrence; however, this recommendation is controversial in the absence of consistent outcome data. We hypothesize that there has been a trend toward increased utilization of adjuvant radiotherapy for malignant phyllodes tumors despite its uncertain effect on outcomes.