Onkológia 5/2012

Specifics of treatment of breast cancers in women older than 70 years

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and leading cause of cancer mortality in women worldwide. Nearly half of the global total of breast cancer cases occurs in patients > 65 years of age. Advanced age at the diagnosis of breast cancer is associated with more favourable tumors biology, as indicated by increased hormone sensitivity, attenuated HER 2/neu overexpression, and lower grades and proliferative indices. Elderly patients, however, are more likely to present with larger and more advanced tumors, and recent reports suggest that lymph node involvement increases with age. Elderly patients are less likely to be treated according to accepted treatment guidelines and undertreatment can, as a consequence, have a strong negative impact on survival. Breast cancer in elderly patients represents not only major medical, but also a great social problem and is expected to remain one of the most frequent cancers in the future.

Keywords: breast cancer, elderly, treatment strategy.