Women sixty five and over with early stage breast cancer who do not have radiation after surgery may have an increased risk of a local recurrence or development of a new primary breast tumor.
Half of the women diagnosed with breast cancer are sixty five and over. Past studies have shown that older women are less likely to be offered chemotherapy, hormonal treatments or radiation. Young women are more likely to receive aggressive treatment for their breast cancer.
This study showed some important things:
- Women in the study who had a lumpectomy without radiation were found to have an greater risk of a local recurrence.
- Women in the study who received hormonal therapy and stayed on their treatment for the full five years had less of a recurrence rate than those who prematurely stopped the medication.
If you are over the age of sixty five and have been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer, talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of receiving radiation after surgery.
