Breast cancer in elderly women

Although the number of elderly patients with breast cancer is increasing, knowledge about possible differences in the biology and clinical outcomes of breast cancer according to age is limited. Retrospectively were followed: diagnosis, surgical treatment, stage of disease, histology, and survival of breast cancer treated women at the Surgical and Oncological Clinic in Nis between 1985 and 1990. Patients were divided in two groups: study (=65 years) and control (<65 years). The study involved 2196 women (862 study group; 1334 control group). Ductal carcinoma was the most frequently observed histological type (70.3% versus 61.92%). The majority of our patients presented with early-stage disease (69.02% versus 60.20%). Estrogen receptor positive tumors occurred in 67.88% of elderly patients versus 28.42% of young cases, and negative axillary lymph nodes were observed in 45.78 and 34.40% of patients in the elderly and young group, respectively. Modified radical mastectomy was selected by a large proportion of patients in both groups. Adjuvant radiation and chemotherapy were more frequently performed in the younger group (P < 1 x 10(-8)). There is no significant difference in disease-specific survival by age. In our population the presentation, surgical treatment, and survival from breast cancer is similar in older and younger women.