title: The treatment of early breast cancer in women over the age of 70.
abstract: One third of all breast cancers are diagnosed in women aged 70 or over. Older women are a heterogeneous population who are under-represented in clinical trials, and as a result uncertainty can exist as to what represents optimal treatment. This minireview, from an international authorship, summarises the existing evidence surrounding the management of early breast cancer in women aged 70 and over. The use of primary surgery and endocrine therapy, and adjuvant chemotherapy, radiotherapy, endocrine therapy and trastuzumab are discussed. Reference is made to ongoing clinical trials in this area and areas of controversy are highlighted.
authors.affiliation: Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Sussex Cancer Centre, Royals Sussex County Hospital, Brighton BN2 5BE, UK. Alistair.ring@bsuh.nhs.uk
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ring
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Leonard
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kunkler
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Muss
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wildiers
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fallowfield
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Coleman
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008408:Mastectomy / Q000379:methods; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging