Care Received by Older Women Diagnosed With Breast Cancer

The influence on nonmedical factors in the presentation and the treatment of breast cancer may increase with the age of the patient. Using the New Mexico Tumor Registry data from 1968 to 1984, we found that the cancer was more advanced at presentation in women over age 65 years and that the stage of cancer was related to the availability of social support (married vs living alone). The relative risk of not receiving definitive cancer treatment increased with age up to 56.8% for women aged 85 years and over. Parameters which influenced the administration of definitive treatment were advanced age, access to transportation and cognitive status. Similar findings were obtained in overviews of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data and hospital practices in Rhode Island and selected areas of California. Treatment of older patients with breast cancer is influenced by factors other than medical conditions. Better understanding of these factors may lead to improved outcome of cancer in older persons.