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Does primary breast cancer in older women (≥80 years) have unfavorable histological characteristics?

  • Gynecologic Oncology
  • Published:
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Introduction

Although the majority of breast cancer patients are older than 65 years, limited data exist regarding the pathological features in very elderly patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the histological characteristics of breast cancer in women aged over 80 years.

Methods

The histological data were reviewed for 137 women aged 80 years and older who were diagnosed with primary breast carcinoma at a university clinic during the period 1990–2005.

Results

Although it is believed that older women have more advanced tumor, the majority of the tumors were assessed as stage I (35%) and II (32.9%). Mucinous, papillary, medullary, tubular, and cribriform histological subtypes have been demonstrated often in this age group (16.8%). In 49.7 and 70.6% of cases, respectively, there were no regional lymph node metastases and no distant metastases. The frequency of ER-positive (72%) and PR-positive (56%) tumors in these patients is high.

Conclusions

An accurate prognostic evaluation at the time of initial diagnosis is of high importance for older patients, since this could avoid unnecessary and risky therapies. As an increasing number of women ≥80 years old may be diagnosed with breast cancer in the coming years, treatment in this specific age group should be individualized to the patient and tumor factors.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Prof. Dr. B. Gerber (Rostock) and Prof. Dr. K. Friese (Munich) for their support of this study. These data are based on the doctoral thesis of Paraskevi Chatzidaki, entitled “Gynaecologic operations in patients at least 80 years of age; a retrospective study at the Gynaecologic Department of the University of Rostock from 1990 to 2005”.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests. The authors have full control of all primary data and agree to allow the journal to review their data if requested.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany

    Paraskevi Chatzidaki & Volker Briese

  2. “Aghia Sophia” Children’s Hospital, Athens, Greece

    Paraskevi Chatzidaki

  3. General Hospital of Corinthos, Corinthos, Greece

    Chrysovalantis Mellos

  4. First Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Maistrasse 11, 80337, Munich, Germany

    Ioannis Mylonas

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  1. Paraskevi Chatzidaki
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Correspondence to Ioannis Mylonas.

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Chatzidaki, P., Mellos, C., Briese, V. et al. Does primary breast cancer in older women (≥80 years) have unfavorable histological characteristics?. Arch Gynecol Obstet 284, 705–712 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-010-1697-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-010-1697-5

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