Chemotherapy treatment options for elderly women with breast cancer. 2006

Sherko Kümmel, and Dirk Elling, and Sophia Jeschke, and Peter Schmid, and Anke Thomas
Departments of Senology, University Medicine Berlin, Charité Campus Mitte, Berlin, Germany. sherko.kuemmel@charite.de

Due to improved life expectancy and the increase in incidence of breast cancer in old age, ever more older women are developing this disease. Although there is only limited evidence-based data from randomized trials on the treatment, older patients are still under-represented in clinical studies, and currently there is no clear consensus on chemotherapy treatment for older women with breast cancer. Adjuvant therapy strategies, in particular, suffer from a lack of uniform standards and reflect a generally less aggressive treatment. Recently published studies have shown that older women suffering from breast cancer can also profit from a treatment based on therapeutic standards and consensus guidelines. In spite of developments in adjuvant chemotherapy using increased amounts of therapeutic agent to improve survival, many older patients receive instead reduced quantities of chemotherapeutic agent. Thus, the questions arise, whether undertreatment of older patients with breast cancer can lead to a poorer outcome or whether new therapy strategies (e.g., dose-intensive chemotherapy) can be used with older patients. A common reason for dose reductions is neutropenia, but studies have shown that it is manageable by using granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (G-CSFs). In this review, the current status of clinical research in the area of adjuvant treatment and the necessity for clinical studies that take into account the special therapeutic requirements of older women are discussed.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D001943 Breast Neoplasms Tumors or cancer of the human BREAST. Breast Cancer,Breast Tumors,Cancer of Breast,Breast Carcinoma,Cancer of the Breast,Human Mammary Carcinoma,Malignant Neoplasm of Breast,Malignant Tumor of Breast,Mammary Cancer,Mammary Carcinoma, Human,Mammary Neoplasm, Human,Mammary Neoplasms, Human,Neoplasms, Breast,Tumors, Breast,Breast Carcinomas,Breast Malignant Neoplasm,Breast Malignant Neoplasms,Breast Malignant Tumor,Breast Malignant Tumors,Breast Neoplasm,Breast Tumor,Cancer, Breast,Cancer, Mammary,Cancers, Mammary,Carcinoma, Breast,Carcinoma, Human Mammary,Carcinomas, Breast,Carcinomas, Human Mammary,Human Mammary Carcinomas,Human Mammary Neoplasm,Human Mammary Neoplasms,Mammary Cancers,Mammary Carcinomas, Human,Neoplasm, Breast,Neoplasm, Human Mammary,Neoplasms, Human Mammary,Tumor, Breast
D004358 Drug Therapy The use of DRUGS to treat a DISEASE or its symptoms. One example is the use of ANTINEOPLASTIC AGENTS to treat CANCER. Chemotherapy,Pharmacotherapy,Therapy, Drug,Chemotherapies,Drug Therapies,Pharmacotherapies,Therapies, Drug
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D000367 Age Factors Age as a constituent element or influence contributing to the production of a result. It may be applicable to the cause or the effect of a circumstance. It is used with human or animal concepts but should be differentiated from AGING, a physiological process, and TIME FACTORS which refers only to the passage of time. Age Reporting,Age Factor,Factor, Age,Factors, Age
D000368 Aged A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available. Elderly
D000369 Aged, 80 and over Persons 80 years of age and older. Oldest Old
D017024 Chemotherapy, Adjuvant Drug therapy given to augment or stimulate some other form of treatment such as surgery or radiation therapy. Adjuvant chemotherapy is commonly used in the therapy of cancer and can be administered before or after the primary treatment. Adjuvant Chemotherapy,Drug Therapy, Adjuvant,Adjuvant Drug Therapy

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