The effect of age on the care of women with breast cancer in community hospitals.

We studied the process of care received by 1,680 female breast cancer patients treated in 17 community hospitals. The probability of receiving various diagnostic, consultation, therapy, or rehabilitation services was almost always significantly associated with patient age for one or more disease stages. Most often there was a linear trend for older patients to receive fewer services (e.g., biopsies prior to definitive treatment, number of lymph nodes examined, chemotherapy, radiation therapy) but other age patterns also were found. Age was not significantly associated with clinical staging or estrogen receptors.