title: [Clinical pathological characteristics and treatment patterns of breast cancer in elderly women].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To summarize the clinical pathological characteristics and treatment patterns of breast cancer in elderly women.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 87 patients (≥ 60 years) admitted to our hospital between January and December 2007 were included in this retrospective study. The patients were divided into 60-69-year group and ≥ 70-year group, and their clinical pathological data and treatment modes were summarized and compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The tumor size (T2-T3), number of involved axillary lymph nodes,and positive rates of estrogen/progesterone receptors,over-expression of epidermal growth factor receptor 2, and ≥ 2 complication were not significantly different between two groups (P > 0.05). The ≥ 70-year group tended to have similar p53 gene mutation and Ki-67 labeling index with the 60-69-year group, although the P values were close to 0.05 (P = 0.09, P = 0.08,respectively). In the ≥ 70-year group, 33.3% of patients underwent extended resection,while in the 60-69-year group, all patients received modified radical treatment (P < 0.005). The percentages of adjuvant chemotherapy were 25% and 56.9% in the ≥ 70-year group and the 60-69-year group (0.005). The percentages of adjuvant endocrine therapy applied after surgery were similar in 2 groups (77.8% and 68.6% separately, P=0.347). Binary logistic regression showed that age,number of involved axillary lymph nodes,and estrogen receptor-positive rate were independently associated with adjuvant chemotherapy,while the pathological tumor size and complication were irrelevant. The 2-year disease-free survival rates of 2 groups were not significantly different.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The clinical pathological characteristics of breast cancer were similar in elderly patients who are 60-69 years old or ≥ 70 years. In the treatment pattern,patients who are ≥ 70 years tend to receive endocrine therapy rather than adjuvant chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, PUMC Hospital, CAMS and PUMC, Beijing 100730, China.
authors.forename: Hong-yan
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Ying
authors.forename: Chun-mei
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: Shu-chang
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies