Aims and background. The incidence of breast cancer increases with advancing age and in clinical practice approximately 50% of new cases occur in women over the age of 65 years. Although breast cancer in elderly patients presents more favorable biological characteristics than similar-stage cancer in younger women, disease control still remains uncertain and is becoming a major health problem. Patients and methods. Between 1984 and 2006, 133 patients aged over 65 with operable breast cancer underwent surgical treatment. Patients with ductal or lobular carcinoma in situ, bilateral breast cancer or a previous malignancy were excluded. The mean age was 72.8 years (range, 66-89). Breast-conserving surgery was performed in patients with early breast cancer (T1, T2 <2.5 cm), while most patients with advanced tumors (T2 >2.5 cm, T3, T4) were treated by modified radical mastectomy. Results. The pathological stage was I in 44, IIA in 54, IIB in 18, IIIA in 10 and IIIB in 7 patients. Postoperative complications occurred in 13 patients (9%); there were no postoperative deaths. Eighty-nine patients underwent adjuvant therapy (chemotherapy, hormonal therapy). After a median follow-up of 96 months (range, 5-266), disease progression was observed in 21 patients (15.8%). The overall mortality from breast cancer was 11%, whereas the cancer-unrelated mortality was 9%. Conclusion. There is no evidence that breast cancer has a more favorable prognosis in the elderly and surgical procedures should be carried out as has been established in younger women. At present, elderly patients are much less likely to be entered into randomized clinical trials and are often undertreated. However, in the absence of serious comorbid disease, they are able to withstand standard multimodal treatment options as well as do younger patients.

Assessment of surgical treatment in elderly patients with breast cancer / DE CESARE, Alessandro; A., Burza; Fiori, Enrico; Bononi, Marco; Volpino, Patrizia; Leone, Giovanni; Crocetti, Alessandro; Cangemi, Vincenzo. - In: TUMORI. - ISSN 0300-8916. - STAMPA. - 94:3(2008), pp. 314-319.

Assessment of surgical treatment in elderly patients with breast cancer

DE CESARE, Alessandro;FIORI, Enrico;BONONI, Marco;VOLPINO, Patrizia;LEONE, Giovanni;CROCETTI, ALESSANDRO;CANGEMI, Vincenzo
2008

Abstract

Aims and background. The incidence of breast cancer increases with advancing age and in clinical practice approximately 50% of new cases occur in women over the age of 65 years. Although breast cancer in elderly patients presents more favorable biological characteristics than similar-stage cancer in younger women, disease control still remains uncertain and is becoming a major health problem. Patients and methods. Between 1984 and 2006, 133 patients aged over 65 with operable breast cancer underwent surgical treatment. Patients with ductal or lobular carcinoma in situ, bilateral breast cancer or a previous malignancy were excluded. The mean age was 72.8 years (range, 66-89). Breast-conserving surgery was performed in patients with early breast cancer (T1, T2 <2.5 cm), while most patients with advanced tumors (T2 >2.5 cm, T3, T4) were treated by modified radical mastectomy. Results. The pathological stage was I in 44, IIA in 54, IIB in 18, IIIA in 10 and IIIB in 7 patients. Postoperative complications occurred in 13 patients (9%); there were no postoperative deaths. Eighty-nine patients underwent adjuvant therapy (chemotherapy, hormonal therapy). After a median follow-up of 96 months (range, 5-266), disease progression was observed in 21 patients (15.8%). The overall mortality from breast cancer was 11%, whereas the cancer-unrelated mortality was 9%. Conclusion. There is no evidence that breast cancer has a more favorable prognosis in the elderly and surgical procedures should be carried out as has been established in younger women. At present, elderly patients are much less likely to be entered into randomized clinical trials and are often undertreated. However, in the absence of serious comorbid disease, they are able to withstand standard multimodal treatment options as well as do younger patients.
2008
breast cancer; elderly patients; surgical treatment
01 Pubblicazione su rivista::01a Articolo in rivista
Assessment of surgical treatment in elderly patients with breast cancer / DE CESARE, Alessandro; A., Burza; Fiori, Enrico; Bononi, Marco; Volpino, Patrizia; Leone, Giovanni; Crocetti, Alessandro; Cangemi, Vincenzo. - In: TUMORI. - ISSN 0300-8916. - STAMPA. - 94:3(2008), pp. 314-319.
File allegati a questo prodotto
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11573/225493
 Attenzione

Attenzione! I dati visualizzati non sono stati sottoposti a validazione da parte dell'ateneo

Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? 1
  • Scopus 0
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 0
social impact