Breast carcinoma in the elderly patient: an assessment of operative risk, morbidity and mortality.

Of 711 patients with histologically proven carcinoma of the breast, 94 patients aged 65 years or older were treated primarily by operation. The long-term survival was comparable to that in the general population with breast cancer despite a high percentage of noncancer death from intercurrent disease. Surgical therapy appropriate for the stage of disease can be performed with acceptable morbidity and mortality. Elderly patients often present with advanced disease but should not be denied the benefits of surgical palliation strictly on the basis of age.