title: Prognostic factors in 401 elderly women with metastatic breast cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Elderly patients with metastatic breast cancer have a prognosis and outcome that may be dependent on a host of factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analyzed 401 female breast cancer patients who developed metastatic disease after the age of 70 years in order to define potential prognostic factors for specific survival at the time of first recurrence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With a median follow-up of 60 months from the time of recurrence, the median specific survival was 21.0 months (95% CI 17.0-23.0). In multivariate analysis we demonstrated that negative hormonal receptor status (p = 0.002), presence of positive lymph nodes at initial cancer diagnosis (hazard ratio, HR = 1.37; 95% CI 1.07-1.75; p = 0.01), site of metastasis (p < 10(-4)) and metastasis-free interval (HR = 0.99; 95% CI 0.95-0.99; p = 0.008) constituted unfavorable independent prognostic factors able to predict specific survival from the time of metastatic occurrence. Age at initial diagnosis, Scarff-Bloom Richardson grade and adjuvant treatments were significant only in univariate analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These survival prognostic factors associated with the use of a specific geriatric questionnaire to assess frailty may assist physicians in evaluating the patient's survival potential and choose a tailored treatment to this cancer population.
authors.affiliation: Centre Antoine Lacassagne, Cancer Research Center, Nice, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Follana
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barrière
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chamorey
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Largillier
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dadone
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mari
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hannoun-Levi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marcy
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Flipo
authors.forename: J-M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ferrero
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008408:Mastectomy; D015412:Mastectomy, Segmental; D011379:Prognosis; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome