Elderly postmenopausal patients with breast cancer are at increased risk for distant recurrence: a tamoxifen...

For postmenopausal patients with hormone-sensitive breast cancer, outcome is worse with increasing age at diagnosis. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of breast cancer recurrence (locoregional and distant), and contralateral breast cancer by age at diagnosis.

Patients enrolled in the Tamoxifen Exemestane Adjuvant Multinational (TEAM) trial were included. Primary endpoints were locoregional recurrence, distant recurrence, and contralateral breast cancer. Age at diagnosis was categorized as younger than 65 years, 65-74 years, and 75 years or older.

Overall, 9,766 patients were included, of which 5,349 were younger than 65 years (reference group), 3,060 were 65-74 years, and 1,357 were 75 years or older. With increasing age, a decreased administration of radiotherapy after breast conserving surgery (94%, 92%, and 88%, respectively) and adjuvant chemotherapy (51%, 23%, and 5%, respectively) was observed. Risk of distant recurrence increased with age at diagnosis; multivariable hazard ratio for patients aged 65-74 years was 1.20 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00-1.44), hazard ratio for patients aged 75 years or older was 1.39 (95% CI: 1.08-1.79). Risks of locoregional recurrence and contralateral breast cancer were not significantly different across age groups.

Elderly patients with breast cancer were at increased risk for distant recurrence. Other studies have shown that the risk of distant recurrence is mainly affected by adjuvant systemic therapy. All TEAM patients received adjuvant endocrine treatment; however, chemotherapy was administered less often in elderly patients. These findings are suggestive for consideration of chemotherapy in relatively fit elderly breast cancer patients with hormone-sensitive disease.