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REVIEW article

Front. Pediatr.
Sec. Pediatric Oncology
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fped.2024.1417050
This article is part of the Research Topic Plant-derived Therapeutics and Traditional Medicine: Innovations, Challenges, and Opportunities in Breast Cancer Treatment View all articles

Benign and malignant breast lesions in children and adolescents -diagnostic and therapeutic approach

Provisionally accepted
  • 1 Department of Pediatric Surgery, Traumatology and Urology, 60-572 Poznan, Poland, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Greater Poland, Poland
  • 2 Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Transplantology, 60-572 Poznan, Poland, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Greater Poland, Poland

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Benign and malignant breast lesions in children and adolescents are rare compared to adults. Most tumors are benign. Malignant breast lesions are extremely rare. Fibroadenomas are the most common, accounting for 95% of all lesions. Diagnosis is based on history and physical examination of the breast and armpit. Imaging studies include ultrasound, mammography, and magnetic resonance imaging. Ultrasound is the most commonly used imaging test. Other tests are used in cases of diagnostic doubt. Core needle biopsy should be considered for appropriate diagnostic management. Excisional biopsy should be considered for complex clinical conditions and imaging studies. Except in doubtful situations in children and adolescent girls, a conservative approach and observation of the lesions along with periodic ultrasound examination initially every 6-12 months is advisable. Management of malignant breast lesions in children typically involves a multidisciplinary team consisting of pediatric oncologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists, pathologists, and other specialists and depends on the clinical condition of the patient. An important aspect is the experience of the clinician and radiologist in the treatment of breast lesions, as well as increasing patient and family awareness of possible breast lesions and self-examination. This review aims to provide a scoping overview of the available literature on benign and malignant lesions of the breast in pediatric and adolescent populations to assist physicians and surgeons in making decisions regarding the appropriate diagnosis and management of pediatric breast disease.

    Keywords: Biopsy, Fibroadenoma, Pediatric breast tumor, Phyllodes Tumor, ultrasound

    Received: 18 Apr 2024; Accepted: 11 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Sosnowska-Sienkiewicz, JANUSZKIEWICZ-LEWANDOWSKA and Mańkowski. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Patrycja Sosnowska-Sienkiewicz, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Traumatology and Urology, 60-572 Poznan, Poland, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, 61-701, Greater Poland, Poland

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.