Systemic Therapy in Elderly Patients With Her2/Neu-Positive Breast Cancer: A SEER Database Study.

Background: The use of systemic therapy in elderly patients with Her2/neu-positive breast cancers has been questioned given the potential for cardiac side effects with several of the agents frequently used. This study aimed to evaluate trends in use of systemic therapy in patients 70 years and older.

Methods: The 2010-2016 SEER database was used to collect data on female patients with non-metastatic Her2/neu-positive breast cancer.

Could lymph node evaluation be eliminated in nearly 50% of women with early stage ER/PR positive breast cancer?

Background: The Society of Surgical Oncology introduced guidance discouraging routine axillary staging in women 70 years or older with invasive, clinically node negative, hormone-receptor positive breast cancer. Due to concerns this could result in patients missing necessary treatment, researchers from the Mayo Clinic developed a rule to distinguish between those at low/high-risk of having positive nodes. The purpose of this study was to validate the Mayo Clinic rule in women of all ages.

Breast cancer treatment in the elderly: Do treatment plans that do not conform to NCCN recommendations lead to worse outcomes?

Background: Aging remains one of the greatest risk factors for development of new breast cancer with more than 30% of breast cancers occurring after the age of 75. Elderly women have been found to not conform with all aspects of treatment recommendations. Our study compared outcomes of elderly breast cancer patients whose treatment did or did not conform to NCCN guidelines.

Breast cancer risk assessment in patients who test negative for a hereditary cancer syndrome.

Background: The majority of women who undergo genetic testing due to a significant family history of breast cancer will receive a negative result. The purpose of this study was to calculate the lifetime risk of breast cancer in women undergoing genetic counseling who received an uninformative genetic test result.

Methods: A retrospective chart review of mutation-negative women presenting to a cancer risk assessment clinic was performed.