Breast cancer in the elderly patient: early detection with mammography

To determine the mammographic features and differences in stage of breast carcinomas in elderly women with malignancies detected with palpation or mammography at presentation.

The mammograms and clinical records of 60 patients (aged 75 years or older) with 62 breast carcinomas, detected during 40 consecutive months, were retrospectively reviewed. A variety of dedicated devices and processing equipment were used. The histologic features, mammographic appearance, mode of detection, and stage of disease were determined. Statistically significant differences between subgroups were calculated with the Student t and chi 2 tests.

Sixty cancers (97%) were seen on mammograms. Seventeen tumors detected with annual mammography differed significantly from the 45 carcinomas in nonscreened patients in diameter (1.1 vs 2.1 cm; P < .0005) and stage (14 minimal [82%] of 17 tumors vs 15 minimal [33%] of 45 tumors; P < .0005). Thirty-five nonpalpable malignancies differed significantly from 27 palpable masses in diameter (1.2 vs 2.3 cm; P = .01) and stage (25 tumors minimal [71%] vs four tumors minimal [15%]; P < .0005).

Screening mammography enabled detection of statistically significantly smaller and earlier-stage tumors, most of which were minimal disease.