Primary hormonal therapy for breast cancer in patients aged over 80 years: single unit outcomes

Abstract

Background. Patients with oestrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer who wish to avoid surgery or those who are considered unsuitable for surgery may be treated with primary hormonal therapy. Elderly patients are more likely to present with more advanced cancers but are less likely to undergo an operation, 39% vs. 90% of those under 50. Recent studies advocate surgery for all patients with operable tumours except those with significant medical co-morbidities. We retrospectively assessed the number of patients treated with this method to determine their outcomes.