Do elderly breast cancer patients have poorer survival outcome?

Abstract

AimThe aim of the present study was to compare breast cancer in elderly patients to their younger counterparts, and look for factors affecting the survival of elderly patients.Patients and MethodsA retrospective study of breast cancer patients who had surgery at a university hospital from 2000 to 2015 was performed. Stage on presentation, tumour characteristics and modalities of treatment for patients aged >70 years were compared with those aged <70 years. Factors affecting breast cancer specific survival were assessed by multivariate Cox regression.ResultsIn total, 3825 patients with breast cancer underwent surgery during the study period; 510 patients (13.3 per cent) were aged >70 years . The 5‐year overall survival for elderly patients was 76.9 per cent, which was poorer than their younger counterparts (89.5 per cent, P = 0.000). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the use of adjuvant hormonal therapy (P = 0.001, hazard ratio: 0.481), advanced T‐stage (P < 0.05) and advanced N‐stage (P < 0.001) were the independent factors affecting breast cancer‐specific survival in elderly patients.ConclusionsElderly breast cancer patients had worse overall and breast cancer‐specific survival. Stage on presentation and the use of adjuvant hormonal therapy were independent factors affecting survival among elderly patients. Early diagnosis and comprehensive geriatric assessment to guide the optimal treatment plan would be useful for better survival outcomes in elderly breast cancer patients.