INTRODUCTION: A significant proportion of elderly breast cancer patients in the UK have no surgical treatment recorded and appear to be treated with primary endocrine therapy (PET) only. Despite this, PET remains one of the poorly studied areas in breast cancer therapy and very little is known about the practice of PET in the UK. METHODS: A questionnaire comprising 14 questions relevant to PET was sent to 489 breast surgeons who were members of the UK Association of Breast Surgery and returned questionnaires were analysed. RESULTS: Overall, 228 questionnaires (47%) were returned. The vast majority (93%) of surgeons who responded use PET in early operable breast cancer in elderly women unfit for surgery or owing to patient preference but 7% would recommend PET to fit elderly patients. Most (76%) use letrozole. The percentage of elderly patients treated with PET varied from <10% to 70% between surgeons. The majority (77%) of respondents had not formally audited the outcome of their PET patients and over 70% underestimated the expected survival of an 80-year-old woman. CONCLUSIONS: Most UK breast surgeons use PET in elderly patients with surgically resectable breast cancer. While most use it in unfit, frail patients, a minority would treat even fit elderly women with PET. Most surgeons have not formally audited the outcome of their patients treated with PET and underestimate the expected survival of elderly patients, which might have an impact on their decision to offer PET rather than surgery.
INTRODUCTION: A significant proportion of elderly breast cancerpatients in the UK have no surgical treatment recorded and appear to be treated with primary endocrine therapy (PET) only. Despite this, PET remains one of the poorly studied areas in breast cancer therapy and very little is known about the practice of PET in the UK. METHODS: A questionnaire comprising 14 questions relevant to PET was sent to 489 breast surgeons who were members of the UK Association of Breast Surgery and returned questionnaires were analysed. RESULTS: Overall, 228 questionnaires (47%) were returned. The vast majority (93%) of surgeons who responded use PET in early operable breast cancer in elderly women unfit for surgery or owing to patient preference but 7% would recommend PET to fit elderly patients. Most (76%) use letrozole. The percentage of elderly patients treated with PET varied from <10% to 70% between surgeons. The majority (77%) of respondents had not formally audited the outcome of their PET patients and over 70% underestimated the expected survival of an 80-year-old woman. CONCLUSIONS: Most UK breast surgeons use PET in elderly patients with surgically resectable breast cancer. While most use it in unfit, frail patients, a minority would treat even fit elderly women with PET. Most surgeons have not formally audited the outcome of their patients treated with PET and underestimate the expected survival of elderly patients, which might have an impact on their decision to offer PET rather than surgery.
Authors: Rob Riemsma; C A Forbes; A Kessels; K Lykopoulos; M M Amonkar; D W Rea; J Kleijnen Journal: Breast Cancer Res Treat Date: 2010-06-10 Impact factor: 4.872
Authors: Meredith M Regan; Patrick Neven; Anita Giobbie-Hurder; Aron Goldhirsch; Bent Ejlertsen; Louis Mauriac; John F Forbes; Ian Smith; István Láng; Andrew Wardley; Manuela Rabaglio; Karen N Price; Richard D Gelber; Alan S Coates; Beat Thürlimann Journal: Lancet Oncol Date: 2011-10-20 Impact factor: 41.316
Authors: W Eiermann; S Paepke; J Appfelstaedt; A Llombart-Cussac; J Eremin; J Vinholes; L Mauriac; M Ellis; M Lassus; H A Chaudri-Ross; M Dugan; M Borgs Journal: Ann Oncol Date: 2001-11 Impact factor: 32.976
Authors: J Michael Dixon; Lorna Renshaw; E Jane Macaskill; Oliver Young; Juliette Murray; David Cameron; Gillian R Kerr; Dean B Evans; William R Miller Journal: Breast Cancer Res Treat Date: 2008-02-09 Impact factor: 4.872
Authors: Jack Cuzick; Ivana Sestak; Michael Baum; Aman Buzdar; Anthony Howell; Mitch Dowsett; John F Forbes Journal: Lancet Oncol Date: 2010-11-17 Impact factor: 41.316
Authors: B M Syed; W Al-Khyatt; S J Johnston; D W M Wong; L Winterbottom; H Kennedy; A R Green; D A L Morgan; I O Ellis; K L Cheung Journal: Br J Cancer Date: 2011-03-29 Impact factor: 7.640