title: [Tamoxifen as the primary treatment for breast cancer in elderly patients].
abstract: A total of 21 elderly patients with breast carcinoma without evidence of systemic dissemination received tamoxifen (20 mg daily) as primary treatment. Of these 57% had a potentially operable tumor (stages I:2, IIa:6, IIb:2, IIIa:2) with a high operative risk that contraindicated the surgery and 43% had a locally advanced tumor unfit for primary radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or surgery. The mean age was 81.3 +/- 5.7 years (range 70-91). Diagnosis was made by fine-needle aspiration cytology in 16 patients and by incision biopsy in 5 of them. The median follow-up was 11.5 months (range 3-54). In 67% there was a clinical objective response (RC: 14%, RP: 53%), and 33% had disease stabilization. There was no evidence of systemic dissemination during the follow-up. Two patients who had achieved a partial response with a duration of 11 and 54 months, respectively, had a loco regional progress. One of them responded to a second hormonal treatment. Of the patients, 81% are still alive, and 14% died of other causes. One patient was lost during the follow-up. These preliminary results show a high loco regional response to tamoxifen. A higher number of patients and a longer time of follow-up are needed to establish the habitual use of tamoxifen as primary treatment of breast carcinoma in elderly patients.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Ginecología, Hospital Privado de Comunidad, Mar del Plata, Argentina.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Elena
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jimenez
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Caprarulo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asís
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cassanello
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D013629:Tamoxifen
vernacular_title: Tamoxifeno como tratamiento primario del cáncer de mama en pacientes de edad avanzada.