BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) remains principally a disease of old ages; with 35-50% of cases occurring in women older than 65 years. Even mortality for cancer increases with aging: 19.7% between 65 and 74 years; 22.6% between 75 and 84 years; and 15.1% in 85 years or more. METHODS: A search was performed on Medline, Embase, Scopus using the following Key words: Breast cancer, Breast neoplasms, Aged, Elder, Elderly, Eldest, Older, Survival analysis, Prognosis, Prognostic factors, Tumor markers, Biomarkers, Comorbidity, Geriatric assessment, Axilla, Axillary surgery. 3029 studies have been retrieved. Paper in which overall or disease free survival were not end points, or age class was not well defined, or the sample was too small, were excluded. At last 42 papers fulfilled the criteria. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Lack of screening and delay in diagnosis may be responsible for the minor improvement in survival observed in elderly respect to younger breast cancer patients. Predictive factors are the same and must be assessed with the same attention reserved to younger women. CONCLUSIONS: Most of elderly patient are fit to undergo standard treatment and can get the same benefits of younger women. Nevertheless it is possible that some older women with early breast cancer can be spared too aggressive treatments. Geriatric assessment and co-morbidities can affect the prognosis modifying surveillance, life expectancy and compliance to therapies. They can thus be useful to select the better treatment, either surgical or radio or hormone - or chemo-therapy.
BACKGROUND:Breast cancer (BC) remains principally a disease of old ages; with 35-50% of cases occurring in women older than 65 years. Even mortality for cancer increases with aging: 19.7% between 65 and 74 years; 22.6% between 75 and 84 years; and 15.1% in 85 years or more. METHODS: A search was performed on Medline, Embase, Scopus using the following Key words: Breast cancer, Breast neoplasms, Aged, Elder, Elderly, Eldest, Older, Survival analysis, Prognosis, Prognostic factors, Tumor markers, Biomarkers, Comorbidity, Geriatric assessment, Axilla, Axillary surgery. 3029 studies have been retrieved. Paper in which overall or disease free survival were not end points, or age class was not well defined, or the sample was too small, were excluded. At last 42 papers fulfilled the criteria. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Lack of screening and delay in diagnosis may be responsible for the minor improvement in survival observed in elderly respect to younger breast cancerpatients. Predictive factors are the same and must be assessed with the same attention reserved to younger women. CONCLUSIONS: Most of elderly patient are fit to undergo standard treatment and can get the same benefits of younger women. Nevertheless it is possible that some older women with early breast cancer can be spared too aggressive treatments. Geriatric assessment and co-morbidities can affect the prognosis modifying surveillance, life expectancy and compliance to therapies. They can thus be useful to select the better treatment, either surgical or radio or hormone - or chemo-therapy.
Authors: Jamie L Wagner; Carla L Warneke; Elizabeth A Mittendorf; Isabelle Bedrosian; Gildy V Babiera; Henry M Kuerer; Kelly K Hunt; Wei Yang; Aysegul A Sahin; Funda Meric-Bernstam Journal: Ann Surg Date: 2011-07 Impact factor: 12.969
Authors: P Barthélémy; D Heitz; C Mathelin; H Polesi; I Asmane; V Litique; L Rob; J-P Bergerat; J-E Kurtz Journal: Crit Rev Oncol Hematol Date: 2010-07-23 Impact factor: 6.312
Authors: P L Fitzgibbons; D L Page; D Weaver; A D Thor; D C Allred; G M Clark; S G Ruby; F O'Malley; J F Simpson; J L Connolly; D F Hayes; S B Edge; A Lichter; S J Schnitt Journal: Arch Pathol Lab Med Date: 2000-07 Impact factor: 5.534
Authors: Giovanni D'Eredità; Vito Leopoldo Troilo; Carmela Giardina; Anna Napoli; Giuseppe Rubini; Fernando Fischetti; Tommaso Berardi Journal: Clin Breast Cancer Date: 2010-12-01 Impact factor: 3.225
Authors: Charles Coutant; Roman Rouzier; Eric Fondrinier; Frederic Marchal; François Guillemin; Nathalie Seince; Anabella Rodrigues; Emile Darai; Serge Uzan; Emmanuel Barranger Journal: Breast Cancer Res Treat Date: 2008-03-14 Impact factor: 4.872
Authors: V Durbecq; L Ameye; I Veys; M Paesmans; C Desmedt; N Sirtaine; C Sotiriou; C Bernard-Marty; J M Nogaret; M Piccart; D Larsimont Journal: Crit Rev Oncol Hematol Date: 2008-03-03 Impact factor: 6.312
Authors: Marcelo Adeodato Bello; Raquel Ferreira de Menezes; Brunna Silva; Rafael de Carvalho da Silva; Rousiane Silva Cavalcanti; Thayane de Fátima da Costa Moraes; Fabiana Tonellotto; Suzana Sales de Aguiar; Renata Brum Martucci; Anke Bergmann; Luiz Claudio Thuler Journal: Asian Pac J Cancer Prev Date: 2016-10-01
Authors: E C Inwald; O Ortmann; M Koller; F Zeman; F Hofstädter; M Evert; G Brockhoff; M Klinkhammer-Schalke Journal: Breast Cancer Res Treat Date: 2017-02-15 Impact factor: 4.872