BREAST-CANCER IN OLDER WOMEN

More than 50% of breast cancers are diagnosed in women aged 65 years o r older, a quickly growing segment of the population. Healthy older wo men should be offered state-of-the-art screening and treatment for bre ast cancer, including mammography, surgery, radiation therapy, and adj uvant therapy for early stage tumors. Clinical trials focusing on the role of adjuvant treatment in older women with breast cancer are of ch ief importance. The optimal treatment for older women with life-threat ening, comorbid conditions may be primary treatment with tamoxifen or adjuvant therapy with tamoxifen alone after definitive surgery. Outsid e the clinical trials setting, metastatic disease should be treated si milarly in all age groups.