title: Breast cancer in older women: screening and selection of locoregional therapy.
abstract: As the proportion of the population older than 65 years increases during the next several decades, breast cancer will be a more substantial health problem for older women. Screening mammography detects cancers and reduces mortality from breast cancer in older women. There does not appear to be an inherent reason to impose an upper age limit for breast cancer screening. Older women with breast cancer who are selected for therapy on the basis of severity of comorbidity rather than chronological age can be safely treated using standard surgical and radiation procedures. The elective addition of axillary radiation to breast radiation after lumpectomy appears to lower risk of regional relapse vs. the untreated axilla, avoids the morbidity of axillary dissection, and provides the best local control after breast conservation surgery.
authors.affiliation: Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, USA.
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Sener
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D008403:Mass Screening; D015412:Mastectomy, Segmental; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D013629:Tamoxifen