Q: MY 20-year-old daughter had a breast lump removed when she was 18. The lab test confirmed that it was a benign phyllodes tumour but it was however incompletely excised.

I have been taking her for a breast scan every year and she can still feel smaller lumps during her self-examination. Is it normal for girls of such young age to have breast lumps and what are the ways to slow down the growth as I just cannot bear the idea of her going for another cut again. - Katherine

DR NOR ASHIKIN: The Phyllodes tumour is a very rare type of breast tumour, which can either be benign (harmless) or malignant (cancerous). About half are malignant, accounting for one per cent of breast cancers.

Most women who are diagnosed with phyllodes tumour are usually between the ages of 40 and 50 years. In very rare cases, it occurs in adolescent girls.

Even though the tumour may be benign as in the case of your daughter, it is still considered a type of breast cancer because it has the potential to become malignant. Between 20 and 35 per cent of these tumours recur locally. Ideally the main treatment is an operation to remove all of the lump with a margin of healthy tissue around it. This is because if any tumour cells are left behind, the lump can grow back.
Most women will have an operation called a wide local excision. But, if the lump is large especially if the breast is small, a mastectomy may be necessary. An operation to reconstruct the breast may be done at the same time.

Normally no further treatment is given after surgery to remove the lump if it is completely excised. However, in your daughter's case, she should contact the doctor since new lumps have appeared and this can usually be cured with a second operation.

After surgery, regular ultrasounds as well as check-ups (often yearly) with a breast specialist is encouraged. It is also important for your daughter to be be "breast aware" for recurrence of new lumps.

A study in the US is looking into whether giving radiotherapy after breast surgery would reduce the chance of the tumour growing back. You have to discuss this matter further with your breast surgeon. -The Star/ANN