title: A retrospective comparison of detection and treatment of breast cancer in young and elderly patients.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology I, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Repetto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Costantini
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Campora
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Amoroso
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gianni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Catturich
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vecchio
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Simoni
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Marigliano
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rosso
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Santi
mesh_terms: 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