Occurrence of Two Rare Malignant Neoplasms (Breast and Ovarian) in an Adolescent Female

BackgroundPhyllodes breast tumors, particularly malignant ones, are rare in adolescents. Tumor behavior does not correlate with histopathology. This case of an adolescent with a malignant phyllodes tumor, followed by the occurrence of a borderline ovarian tumor, also uncommon in adolescence, may shed light on our understanding of phyllodes and uncommon gynecologic malignancies in the young.CaseA-14 year-old Caucasian female underwent wide local excision of a 4-cm malignant phyllodes breast tumor. At 17 years of age she had excision of a serous borderline tumor of the ovary.CommentsThe occurrence of two rare neoplasms in an adolescent female raises questions about a common underlying etiology, such as a genetic mutation. Genetic evaluation of minors is a sensitive and complex issue. Natural history studies regarding phyllodes tumors presenting in adolescence are needed to establish recommendations regarding best practice, including the role of genetic evaluation in this population.