Major declines in breast cancer death rates since the 1990s are largely restricted to women under 75, new US research shows, with experts blaming clinicians’ attitudes for relatively poor outcomes in older women.
And in Australia, an expert has raised concerns about sub-optimal treatment of older women with the disease, despite saying the situation may be better here than in the US.
Examining two sets of national surveillance data (1, 2), researchers found that for the general population, breast cancer deaths decreased 2.5% per year between 1990 and 2007 for people aged 20-49, but only 1.1% per year for those 75 and older.
Among newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, the adjusted risk of breast cancer death decreased by 3.6% per year...
This site is intended for Registered Medical Practitioners.
To make the most of Oncology Update, you need to be logged in.