Breast Cancer Subtypes in Patients Aged 70 Years and Older

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Geriatric Medicine
• Breast Cancer Research

Background:

• Understanding breast cancer (BC) recurrence and survival patterns in elderly patients (≥70 years) remains crucial.
• Subtyping and age stratification are key factors influencing BC outcomes in this demographic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare tumor characteristics, demographics, therapies, and recurrence patterns in elderly BC patients across different subtypes and age groups.
• To identify prognostic factors for distant disease-free survival (DDFS) in patients aged 70 and above.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis comparing Luminal A (LA), Luminal B (LB), HER2-overexpressing (Her+), and Triple-Negative (TN) BC subtypes.
• Patients were subcategorized into age groups: 70-74, 75-79, and ≥80 years.
• Univariate Cox-regression analyses were performed to assess DDFS.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in DDFS were observed across BC subtypes (p = 0.0002).
• HER2-positive (Her+) and Triple-Negative (TN) subtypes demonstrated significantly poorer DDFS compared to Luminal A (LA) (p = 0.0014 and p < 0.001, respectively).
• TN subtype also showed poorer DDFS compared to Luminal B (LB) (p = 0.0086). Age was not a significant prognostic factor; Her+ and TN subtypes were significant prognostic factors for DDFS.

Conclusions:

• In patients aged 70 and older, breast cancer subtype is a more significant prognostic factor for DDFS than chronological age.
• HER2-overexpressing and Triple-Negative breast cancers portend a worse prognosis in elderly patients.
• Further research into tailored treatment strategies for elderly patients based on BC subtype is warranted.