Management of elderly patients with breast cancer: the time for surgery

Mortality in Older Patients with Breast Cancer Undergoing Breast Surgery: How Low is "Low Risk"?

BACKGROUND

Breast surgery carries a low risk of postoperative mortality. For older patients with multiple comorbidities, even low-risk procedures can confer some increased perioperative risk. We sought to identify factors associated with postoperative mortality in breast cancer patients ≥70 years to create a nomogram for predicting risk of death within 90 days.

METHODS

Patients diagnosed with nonmetastatic invasive breast cancer (2010-2016) were selected from the National Cancer Database. Unadjusted OS was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate the association of age and surgery with 90-day mortality and to build a predictive nomogram.

RESULTS

Among surgical patients ≥70 years, unadjusted 90-day mortality increased with increasing age (70-74 = 0.4% vs. ≥85 = 1.6%), comorbidity score (0 = 0.5% vs. ≥3 = 2.7%), and disease stage (I = 0.4% vs. III = 2.7%; all p < 0.001). After adjustment, death within 90 days of surgery was associated with higher age (≥85 vs. 70-74: odds ratio [OR] 3.16, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.74-3.65), comorbidity score (≥3 vs. 0: OR 4.79, 95% CI 3.89-5.89), and disease stage (III vs. I: OR 4.30, 95% CI 3.69-5.00). Based on these findings, seven variables (age, gender, comorbidity score, facility type, facility location, clinical stage, and surgery type) were selected to build a nomogram; estimates of risk of death within 90 days ranged from <1 to >30%.

CONCLUSIONS

Breast operations remain relatively low-risk procedures for older patients with breast cancer, but select factors can be used to estimate the risk of postoperative mortality to guide surgical decision-making among older women.

Aromatase inhibitors in the treatment of elderly women with metastatic breast cancer

The proportion of elderly women in the population is rising, and in tandem, the incidence of breast cancer rises with age. Because of health and tolerability concerns, as well as life expectancy, physicians may be reluctant to advise a standard treatment regimen for elderly patients with metastatic breast cancer. To elucidate this issue, we performed a literature review of clinical studies that included women with metastatic breast cancer who were over the age of 65. Our results show that although little clinical evidence exists, what is available suggests that standard treatment is tolerated and beneficial for patients meeting certain criteria. A geriatric assessment may identify specific patient groups (independent, dependent, or frail) and thereby guide treatment. Treatment recommendations for elderly patients with metastatic breast cancer are sparse, although first-line endocrine treatment, usually aromatase inhibitors or tamoxifen, is recommended for hormone-sensitive disease. In general, the evidence from clinical studies suggests that aromatase inhibitors are more effective than either tamoxifen or megestrol acetate as first- or second-line treatment in postmenopausal women with metastatic breast cancer. Ultimately, quality of life, treatment effects, and comorbidities are important aspects in this population and may guide treatment choice. To provide evidence-based treatment guidance, future clinical trials should include more patients over the age of 65 years.

Tumour markers predictive of successful treatment of breast cancer with primary endocrine therapy in patients over 70 years old: a prospective study

We report a prospective study of women over 70 years of age with early breast cancer who had primary endocrine treatment. Core biopsies of the cancer were taken at diagnosis and assessed using immunohistochemistry for oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PgR), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), pS2, cyclin D1, p21, p53, HER2 and MIB1 (Ki67). Outcome analysis was performed at a median follow-up of 70 months. Correlation was sought between tumour marker measurements and disease control. When all patients were considered, a significant relationship was found between the absence of ER and PgR, the presence of p53 and EGFR, and high MIB1 and treatment failure. However, for the ER positive cancers, no other marker predicted treatment failure or relapse. There remains an important clinical need to identify those ER positive breast cancers that will not respond to endocrine treatment, and those in which the response will be short-lived.

Management of breast cancer in elderly individuals: recommendations of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer mortality in women worldwide. Elderly individuals make up a large part of the breast cancer population, and there are important specific considerations for this population. The International Society of Geriatric Oncology created a task force to assess the available evidence on breast cancer in elderly individuals, and to provide evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in such individuals. A review of the published work was done with the results of a search on Medline for English-language articles published between 1990 and 2007 and of abstracts from key international conferences. Recommendations are given on the topics of screening, surgery, radiotherapy, (neo)adjuvant hormone treatment and chemotherapy, and metastatic disease. Since large randomised trials in elderly patients with breast cancer are scarce, there is little level I evidence for the treatment of such patients. The available evidence was reviewed and synthesised to provide consensus recommendations regarding the care of breast cancer in older adults.