A retrospective comparison of detection and treatment of breast cancer in young and elderly patients.
The medical records of all women (297 cases) with breast cancer > or = 70 years of age, presenting at our Institute from January 1980 to December 1989, were reviewed. Data from 226 elderly women was compared to that from 100 stage-matched patients < 50 years of age, presenting during the same 10-year study interval. Conservative surgery was significantly more frequent in young patients (71.1%) compared to elderly women (26.1%) and radical mastectomy according to Halsted was undertaken in 34.3% of the elderly group compared to 8.9% of young patients (p < 0.001). Since 'incidental' diagnosis was significantly more frequent in the elderly group (59.9% versus 6.0%) (p < 0.001), primary care physicians may play an important role in the early diagnosis of breast cancer in the majority of elderly women.
Repetto
L
L
Department of Medical Oncology I, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
Costantini
M
M
Campora
E
E
Amoroso
D
D
Gianni
W
W
Catturich
A
A
Vecchio
C
C
Simoni
C
C
Marigliano
V
V
Rosso
R
R
Santi
L
L
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002173:Cancer Care Facilities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008408:Mastectomy; D015409:Mastectomy, Radical; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies