title: Elderly women with breast cancer often die due to other causes regardless of primary endocrine therapy or primary surgical therapy.
abstract: Survival and cause of death was investigated for Primary Surgical Therapy (PST) and Primary Endocrine Therapy (PET). Of women aged ≥75 years 113 patients received PET, 233 patients underwent PST. PST gave better survival, although this group was younger (p < 0.001). During follow-up the percentage of deaths due to breast cancer was similar and stable in both groups. Increased age was associated with a higher risk on death due to other causes (HR 1.11; CI 1.07-1.14), not on death due to breast cancer (HR 0.94; CI 0.87-1.01). The association of type of treatment and death due to breast cancer was not different between both groups in univariate analyses (HR 0.78; CI 0.44-1.39). In the multivariate model this non-significance remained after correcting for tumor size and age (HR 0.68; CI 0.33-1.42). Treatment should not be based merely on surgical treatment. PET may be an acceptable alternative.
authors.affiliation: CoRPS - Center of Research on Psychology in Somatic Diseases, Department of Medical Psychology and Neuropsychology, Tilburg University, PO Box 90153, 5000 LE, Tilburg, The Netherlands. m.j.traa@uvt.nl
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Traa
authors.forename: C M E M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Meijs
authors.forename: M A C
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: de Jongh
authors.forename: E C H M
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: van der Borst
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Roukema
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy*; D002423:Cause of Death; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008408:Mastectomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009426:Netherlands; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016387:Women's Health
chemical_list: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal