Elderly breast cancer patients: adjuvant chemotherapy and adjuvant endocrine therapy.
Older women have unfortunately been underrepresented in breast cancer clinical trials, with the majority of studies being restricted to patients younger than 70 years. Elderly patients are an inhomogeneous group and frequently suffer from comorbidities and/or impaired organ functions. These facts may often lead to death from causes other than cancer, thus nullifying any possible benefit of adjuvant treatment; furthermore, they render extrapolation of standard treatment recommendations to the elderly potentially hazardous, particularly with respect to chemotherapy. Specific clinical trials are therefore needed to investigate adjuvant treatments tailored for the heterogeneous older population.
Medical Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology, Hospital of Prato, Prato, Italy.
Laura
L
Biganzoli
Matti
M
Aapro
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal