Adjuvant chemotherapy for early breast cancer in the elderly.

The use of cytotoxic therapy in the fit elderly breast cancer patient has been tempered with concerns of age, physical function, and co-morbid illness. In the appropriate patient with biologically aggressive disease, such as receptor poor breast cancer, it is reasonable to consider combination chemotherapy as part of an adjuvant program. If this approach is to be employed, the physician must also consider the patient's co-morbid conditions and status of function in society as potential indicators of toxicity or lack of benefit.