Radiation beneficial for older breast cancer patients

Most randomized trials that compare outcomes of breast-conserving surgery with and without radiation consistently show more positive outcomes when radiation is used; however, most of the trials exclude women older than 70 years old so there is not a lot of data on the impact of radiation on older women.

Between 1979 and 2002, 238 women, 70 years old and older, with Stage I or II invasive carcinoma of the breast received breast-conservation therapy and their outcomes were compared by age groups and comorbidities. Most of the patients studied had mild comorbidities.

The researchers found that the number of deaths from breast cancer among the patients studied was similar to the number seen among all age groups of patients without additional medical problems. The researchers also found that the majority of elderly women with early-stage breast cancers and mild comorbidities actually benefited from the use of radiation and had minimal side effects.

The overall survival rates for the patients in the five- and 10-year follow-up periods were 80 percent and 50 percent, respectively; however, more deaths during the 10-year period were caused by intercurrent diseases than breast cancer.

“Doctors need to understand that comorbidities should be the determining factor in deciding an older patient’s course of treatment, not age,” said Eleanor Harris, M.D., clinical director of radiation oncology at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla. “There is a sense in the field that elderly women need less treatment than younger women, but we should not be under treating women simply because they have passed the age of 70.”

ASTRO is the largest radiation oncology society in the world, with 9,000 members who specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. As the leading organization in radiation oncology, biology and physics, the Society is dedicated to improving patient care through education, clinical practice, advancement of science and advocacy.