Clinical Management of Women with Metastatic Breast Cancer by Age
Author Information
Author(s): Manders Klaartje, van de Poll-Franse Lonneke V, Creemers Geert-Jan, Vreugdenhil Gerard, van der Sangen Maurice JC, Nieuwenhuijzen Grard AP, Roumen Rudi MH, Voogd Adri C
Primary Institution: Maastricht University
Hypothesis
How does the clinical management of women with metastatic breast cancer vary by age group?
Conclusion
Older patients are less likely to receive chemotherapy or radiotherapy, which may be due to their shorter survival time and lower risk of certain metastases.
Supporting Evidence
- 70% of patients developed bone metastases before death.
- Patients younger than 50 were more likely to develop central nervous system metastases.
- 66% of patients received chemotherapy, but this decreased with age.
Takeaway
This study looked at how women with advanced breast cancer are treated based on their age, finding that older women often get less aggressive treatment.
Methodology
Data were collected from medical files of patients who died after a diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer in two teaching hospitals.
Potential Biases
The retrospective nature of the study may introduce bias in treatment response assessment.
Limitations
The study had a small sample size and was conducted in two non-academic hospitals, which may not represent all patients.
Participant Demographics
Patients aged 21 to 93, with a mean age of 58 at primary diagnosis and 61.5 at metastatic diagnosis.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p = 0.005 for chemotherapy decrease with age; p = 0.03 for radiotherapy decrease with age.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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