Overall survival of elderly patients with breast cancer is not related to breast-cancer specific survival: A single institution experience in Japan.

BACKGROUND

As the aging population grows, the number of elderly breast cancer patients has rapidly increased especially in Japan; a suitable treatment for elderly patients, considering chronic comorbidities and treatment tolerance, is urgently needed.

METHODS

In this retrospective study, 286 elderly breast cancer patients were investigated. Tumor characteristics and survival outcome were compared between 70-79-year-old and ≥ 80-year-old groups. Disease-free survival, overall survival, and breast cancer-specific survival were compared, and the effect of variables was analyzed statistically. For resectable cases, prognoses were compared based on treatment (standard therapy or undertreated).

RESULTS

Tumor characteristics were similar between groups, but the Ki-67 labeling index tended to be higher in older patients. Elderly patients with resectable cancer tended to be undertreated. During the median 59-month follow-up period, overall survival was significantly worse in the ≥80-year-old than in the 70-79-year-old group (p < 0.001), but disease-free and breast cancer-specific survivals were equivalent. Recurrence or death event hazard rates tended to be lower in patients receiving standard treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Standard multidisciplinary treatment for breast cancer prevents recurrence and metastasis and tends to extend breast cancer-specific survival even in elderly patients.