Patterns of treatment for older women with newly diagnosed breast carcinoma

The patterns of treatment for newly diagnosed breast carcinomas in older women aged 65 years or more have not been well studied, particularly in relation to screening mammography performed for the early detection of breast cancer. Therefore, the present study was performed to determine the patterns of treatment for newly diagnosed breast carcinomas in older women aged 65 years or more and to determine the impact of screening mammography on these patterns of treatment. The study population consisted of 130 women aged 65 years or more with newly diagnosed breast carcinoma from 1993 through 1994 enrolled in a large health maintenance organization. The medical records of these 130 patients were reviewed. The breast cancers detected in women who had undergone mammographic screening were more often eligible for breast-conservation treatment than the breast cancers detected in women who had not undergone mammographic screening (79% vs. 48%, respectively; p = 0.0044). For the breast cancers that were eligible for breast-conservation treatment, breast-conservation treatment was used more often for the women who had undergone mammographic screening than for the women who had not undergone mammographic screening (70% vs. 27%, respectively; p = 0.0077). Definitive radiation therapy was delivered after breast-conservation surgery in 89% (55/62) of the patients. Medical oncology consultation was obtained more commonly for more advanced staged breast cancers. Clinical management was altered in 9% (12/130) of the patients because of older patient age, comorbid medical conditions, or both. These findings have documented the patterns of treatment for older women aged 65 years or more with newly diagnosed breast cancer. Screening mammography had a significant impact on the patterns of breast cancer management, as demonstrated by the association of screening mammography with an increased eligibility for breast-conservation treatment and an increased use of breast-conservation treatment for eligible patients.