Cancer Res Treat.  2016 Oct;48(4):1382-1388. 10.4143/crt.2015.423.

Clinicopathologic Features and Long-Term Outcomes of Elderly Breast Cancer Patients: Experiences at a Single Institution in Korea

• Kim HK
• Ham JS
• Byeon S
• Yoo KH
• Jung KS
• Song HN
• Cho J
• Lee JY
• Lim SH
• Kim HS
• Kim JY
• Lee JE
• Kim SW
• Nam SJ
• Lee SK
• Bae SY
• Ahn JS
• Im YH
• Park YH

• KMID: 2356240
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2015.423

Abstract

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to assess the tumor characteristics and long-term clinical outcomes of adjuvant treatments after surgery with a curative aim for patients with breast cancer who are 65 years and older.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Patients with breast cancer who underwent curative surgery from 2000 to 2009 were analyzed (n=4,388). Tumor characteristics and survival outcome were compared by dividing the patients into two age groups (< 65 and ≥ 65 years old). The Kaplan-Meier method was used for comparison of survival rates by log-rank test, and a Cox regression model was used to examine the effect of variables.
RESULTS
Among 4,388 patients with invasive breast cancer, 317 patients (7.2%) were 65 years or older and the median age of all patients was 47 years (range, 18 to 91 years). Tumor characteristics were similar between the two age groups, but the older patients were treated less often with adjuvant treatments. During a median follow-up period of 122 months, recurrence-free survival (RFS) was equivalent for patients 65 years and older compared to younger patients, but significantly worse in overall survival (OS) and breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) (5-year OS, 94.3% vs. 90.5%; p < 0.001 and 5-year BCSS, 94.7% vs. 91.8%; p=0.031). In the multivariate model, age ≥ 65 years old was identified as an independent risk factor for OS and RFS.
CONCLUSION
Elderly breast cancer appeared to have worse outcomes with very low prevalence in Korea, despite similar tumor characteristics. More active adjuvant therapies would have a role for aggressive subtypes for fit, elderly patients.

Keyword

Breast neoplasms; Aged; Population characteristics; Treatment outcome

MeSH Terms

Aged*
Breast Neoplasms*
Breast*
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Korea*
Methods
Population Characteristics
Prevalence
Risk Factors
Survival Rate
Treatment Outcome

Figure

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  Fig. 1. Age-specific cancer incidence of women in Korea.

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  Fig. 2. Recurrence-free survival (RFS), distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS), overall survival (OS), and breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) according to age groups.

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  Fig. 3. Subtype distribution according to age groups. TNBC, triple negative breast cancer; HR, hormone receptor.

Reference

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