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Age and health status may influence treatment decisions for breast cancer
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Adjuvant treatment recommendations for older adults with breast cancer may be influenced by the age and health status of patients.
Researchers from the City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, Calif., and the University of California at Los Angeles conducted a survey to gain the perspective of medical oncologists and primary care physicians about the affect of age and health status on adjuvant treatment recommendations among older patients with breast cancer.
In 2007, the researchers surveyed 151 oncologists and 158 primary care physicians with expertise in geriatrics. The survey included hypothetical patients aged 70, 75, 80 or 85 years with good, average and poor health status and node-positive, hormone receptor-positive, HER-2/neu–negative and hormone receptor-negative, HER-2/neu–positive breast cancers.
According to the researchers, the majority of primary care physicians and oncologists recommended some form of adjuvant therapy for patients, regardless of age or health status. However, as patients aged and their health status declined, both groups were less likely to recommend adjuvant therapy (P<.0001).
Recommendations from primary care physicians and oncologists were similar for patients with hormone receptor-negative, HER-2/neu–positive tumors (P=.54). Compared with oncologists, primary care physicians were less likely to recommend adjuvant therapy for those aged 75 years or older with hormone receptor-positive, HER-2/neu–negative tumors (P<.01).
“Evidence-based guidelines for breast cancer treatment in older adults taking into account age and health status are needed,” the researchers wrote.
J Clin Oncol. 2008;doi:10.1200/JCO.2008.17.6891.