Older Women & Breast Cancer

Breast cancer in older women can often be successfully treated.

According to the Mayo Clinic, women older than 60 years have a higher risk for breast cancer, and one report from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that elderly women are less likely to have proper screening for breast cancer and have a higher mortality rate than younger counterparts.

Symptoms of Breast Cancer

The Mayo Clinic outlines a variety of symptoms of breast cancer, and knowing these symptoms can help patients with early detection of the disease. Symptoms include a change in the size or shape of the breast, changes to the skin over the breast, peeling or flaking of the nipple skin and redness or pitting on the skin of the breast. In older women, however, normal skin aging and changes in the size or shape of the breast may be overlooked and go unmonitored.

Causes and Risk Factors

Doctors at the Mayo Clinic have identified a number of risk factors that may contribute to breast cancer. These factors include advancing age, late onset of menopause, previous occurrence of breast cancer and possible genetic predispositions. Researchers also note that later child-bearing and use of hormone treatments during menopause can increase risk of breast cancer.

Treatments

The American Cancer Society outlines a variety of treatments for breast cancer. These include chemotherapy, radiation, surgery and targeted therapies used to attack cancer cells. One study from the NIH found that older women are more likely to have estrogen responsive tumors, and these tumors should be surgically removed, followed by radiation and the use of estrogen antagonists, such as Tamoxifen

Statistics

According to the America Cancer Society, breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women, comprising 15 percent of fatal cancer cases in 2009 alone. Deaths from breast cancer reduced in number between 1990 and 2005, likely due to a reduction in the use of hormone replacement therapy.

Considerations for Older Women

One report from the NIH stresses that older women should be treated based on life expectancy, rather than age. Many women in their 70s may have a life expectancy of 10 to 12 years, and the NIH notes that treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation, should be used in older women with breast cancer when the treatment is appropriate. Medical experts at the NIH warn against overlooking signs and symptoms of breast cancer in older women, and they advocate for appropriate treatment.

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