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. 2011;16(4):415-23.
doi: 10.1634/theoncologist.2010-0234. Epub 2011 Mar 15.

Lack of survival gain for elderly women with breast cancer

Esther Bastiaannet  1 , Johanneke E A Portielje, Cornelis J H van de Velde, Anton J M de Craen, Susanne van der Velde, Peter J K Kuppen, Lydia G M van der Geest, Maryska L G Janssen-Heijnen, Olaf M Dekkers, Rudi G J Westendorp, Gerrit-Jan Liefers
Affiliations

Lack of survival gain for elderly women with breast cancer

Esther Bastiaannet et al. Oncologist. 2011.

Abstract

Background: The number of elderly women with breast cancer is increasing and will become a major health concern. However, little is known about the optimal treatment for this age group. The aim of this study was to describe time trends for the overall Dutch breast cancer cohort with an emphasis on differences between young and elderly patients.

Methods: All adult female patients diagnosed in 1995-2005 were selected from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Relative excess risks for death (adjusted for stage, histology, treatment, and grade) were estimated using a multivariate generalized linear model with a Poisson distribution, based on collapsed relative survival data, using exact survival times.

Results: Overall, 127,805 patients were included. Treatment of patients aged ≥75 years changed significantly over time: they received less surgery, more adjuvant hormonal treatment and chemotherapy, and more hormonal treatment without surgery. In contrast to younger patients, the relative survival did not improve significantly over time for elderly patients. With increasing age, the observed-expected death ratio decreased to almost 1.0.

Conclusion: Survival for elderly patients with breast cancer did not improve significantly. Observed-expected death ratios in the elderly are close to 1, indicating that excess mortality is low. Elderly patients with breast cancer have a higher risk for overtreatment and undertreatment, with a delicate therapeutic balance between breast cancer survival gain and potential toxicities. To improve breast cancer survival in the elderly, a critical reappraisal is needed of costs and benefits of hormonal as well as other treatments, and better selection of patients who can benefit from available therapies is warranted.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosures: Esther Bastiaannet: None; Johanneke E.A. Portielje: None; Cornelis J.H. van de Velde: None; Anton J.M. de Craen: None; Susanne van der Velde: None; Peter J.K. Kuppen: None; Lydia G.M. van der Geest: None; Maryska L.G. Janssen-Heijnen: None; Olaf M. Dekkers: None; Rudi G.J. Westendorp: None; Gerrit-Jan Liefers: None.

The content of this article has been reviewed by independent peer reviewers to ensure that it is balanced, objective, and free from commercial bias. No financial relationships relevant to the content of this article have been disclosed by the authors or independent peer reviewers.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Incidence of invasive breast cancer (A) and in situ breast cancer (B) in The Netherlands in 1995–2005 according to age.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Observed deaths divided by the number of expected deaths at 5 years based on the general population according to age and time period.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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