ABSTRACT

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and one in ten patients affected are over age 80. However, this age group is mostly excluded from clinical trials and data to inform their care is sparse.

Medical records of all patients aged 80 years-old and older diagnosed and treated for breast cancer in a single center over a six-year period were retrospectively reviewed. A cohort of patients aged 65 to 75 treated for breast cancer at the same center during the same period was also reviewed for comparison.

Patients in the 80 and over age group were commonly diagnosed with stage II or III disease (39.2%) compared to younger patients who were diagnosed more commonly (61.6%) with stage I disease. Sub-types of breast cancer had a similar representation in the two groups. Hormonal therapy was used equally in the two groups, but significantly fewer patients in the 80 and over age group had radiation therapy and chemotherapy as part of their treatment. Despite these differences, recurrence rates were not significantly different between the two groups.

Individualized treatments taking into consideration the patient’s general status, comorbidities and life expectancy are feasible in the older breast cancer population and result in outcomes similar to those of younger patients in the short and intermediate terms.