title: Treatment patterns in elderly patients (greater than or equal to 70 years) with breast carcinoma. A retrospective study of the Gruppo Oncologico Clinico Cooperativo del nord-Est (GOCCNE).
abstract: The pattern of treatment used in elderly women affected by breast carcinoma was evaluated in a retrospective study by the North-East Clinical Cooperative Group in Italy (GOCCNE). Six divisions were involved in the study. The medical records of 115 elderly women were reviewed; the women's median age was 75 years (range, 70-93). Surgery was used in 70/72 operable patients (97%), although limited surgery plus radiotherapy was used in only 7.5%. Most stage II patients were treated with adjuvant tamoxifen, as were younger postmenopausal patients, according to the guidelines of the Bethesda Consensus Meeting. Comorbid conditions are of particular concern in therapy planning, considering that more stage III patients died of competing causes than for disease progression. The role of chemotherapy was very marginal.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, Aviano, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Crivellari
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Galligioni
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Foladore
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Errante
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Conte
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Nascimben
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amichetti
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Spagnolli
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Recaldin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grandinetti
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008408:Mastectomy; D009919:Orchiectomy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D013629:Tamoxifen