Treatment of Breast Cancer in Women Aged 80 and Older: A Systematic Review

Background: The elderly population is growing in the United States. Most clinical trials exclude patients over 80, therefore there is a paucity of data regarding the correct treatment of this group. The purpose of this systematic review was to investigate the treatment patterns for women with primary breast cancer aged 80 years old and older - modalities include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and hormonal treatment, alone or in combination. Methods: A formal systematic review was performed with the support of the medical research librarian at the University of California San Diego Biomedical Library. PubMed and Web of Science were the databases used. A patient population of 2,947 was derived from the 16 papers reviewed. Results: Patients diagnosed over 80 were more likely to be diagnosed by clinical exam. Patients who had standard surgical treatment had an improved disease free survival. Surgical resection and radiation had a low morbidity. Conclusion: Multimodality treatment is safe in elderly women and is associated with better breast cancer specific survival outcomes.