The risk for developing cancer, including breast cancer, increases with age. As the general population in the US ages, it is likely that more seniors will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. It is important to continue screening and treating older adults with breast cancer.

How common is breast cancer in seniors?

The average age for a breast cancer diagnosis is 62. About 20 percent of women are diagnosed after the age of 75. Invasive breast cancer cases in the general population are expected to double by 2030. Of these new cases, a significant number of aging individuals will be affected.

For example, it is expected that women aged 70 to 84 will make up a larger percentage of cases (35 percent, up from 24 percent in 2011). Women aged 50 to 69 will make up a smaller number of cases (44 percent, down from 55 percent in 2011).

The number of new breast cancer diagnoses each year is nearly 275,000. The American Cancer Society reveals that about three million survivors exist at any given time. Harvard Medical School states that women over 80 start to have a decreased risk for developing breast cancer.

The news for women under 65 who are diagnosed with breast cancer is not so promising. Women in this age group are more likely to pass away from their disease. Plus, cancer is more likely to recur in these individuals. Over 40,000 women die from breast cancer annually.

What is the biology of breast cancer in the elderly?

Breast cancer biology hardly differs between older and younger women. Up to 80 percent of cases are ER-positive (estrogen receptor positive). The cells in ER-positive breast cancer have receptors that grow with estrogen. Treatment with anti-estrogen hormones can block the growth of cancer cells.

Treatment with endocrine therapy (using anti-estrogen hormones) is also effective in blocking the growth of cancer cells in individuals whose breast cancer is PR-positive (progesterone receptor positive). In this type of breast cancer, the cells are sensitive to progesterone and their receptors use it to grow.

Breast cancer is categorized into four groups: Luminal A (Group 1) and Luminal B (Group 2) as well as HER2 positive (Group 3) and basal-like (Group 4). These groups guide doctors in making the best treatment decisions. Luminal breast cancer is shown to increase with age.

Luminal A includes tumors that are ER- and PR-positive but negative for HER2. Cancers belonging to this group respond to hormone therapy as well as chemotherapy. Luminal B includes tumors that are ER-positive, PR-negative, and HER2 positive. Treatments are similar to Luminal A cancer.

In elderly women, the percentage of aggressive basal-like tumors decreases. In this type of cancer, the tumors are ER-negative, PR-negative, and HER2 negative—and this is the reason it is called triple-negative breast cancer. Basal-like cancers are shown to respond to chemotherapy.

How do older adults respond to treatment?

Among older adults, the response to breast cancer therapies differs. Aging women who undergo chemotherapy, for instance, require standard care at the recommended doses; however, potential toxicities, such as osteoporosis and congestive heart failure, must be closely monitored by healthcare professionals.

During treatment with chemotherapy, its impact on the older patient’s quality of life is strongly considered. Aging women with breast cancer have a greater risk for experiencing unwanted side effects plus treatment-related mortality. Undertreatment, conversely, also leads to poor outcomes.

How does cancer affect seniors of different ages?

Functional age varies among elderly cancer patients. For instance, one 75-year-old woman can be highly active and independent while another senior of the same age may be homebound and require daily support. Cancer affects individuals based on their functional status.

A geriatric assessment can evaluate seniors based on their functional age, for instance, looking at whether the aging individual can walk a block or has fallen. The results of the assessment can better guide the aging patient’s treatment and care.

 

Are the effects of cancer treatments on older adults understood?

Despite conducting geriatric assessments, how toxicities of cancer treatments affect elderly patients is not well understood. Clinical trials, which build the foundations of care, do not normally include older adults. Consequently, evidence-based guidelines on how to treat this age group are lacking.

When new drugs become available, they are not tested on elderly patients. Doctors do not know whether the medications have the same effects on seniors as they do on younger populations. Also limiting the full understanding of treatment outcomes is the fact that geriatric oncologists are rare.

As the US population continues to age, more geriatric oncologists will be in demand. In addition to doctors, home care services will become increasingly necessary and desired. The majority of older adults with or without a cancer diagnosis wish to age in place—and home care makes it possible.

 

Assisting Hands Home Care

Whether your elderly loved one is diagnosed with cancer or another major illness, compassionate care from Assisting Hands Home Care will be invaluable. We offer dependable elder care services to seniors that allow them to live at home with greater confidence and independence.

Included in our wide range of non-medical home care services are help with personal hygiene tasks, transportation to doctors’ offices, medication reminders, and light housekeeping. We prepare healthy meals and shop for groceries. Caregivers are excellent companions to deter loneliness and isolation.

We conduct home safety evaluations and fall risk assessments. Caregivers provide transfer assistance to help seniors move into or out of a bed or chair. Our comprehensive non-medical support is essential to helping seniors maintain their physical, emotional, and social health.

Assisting Hands Home Care offers many flexible care options. We’re available for respite care, 24-hour care, and overnight care. If your loved one needs specialized care, like Alzheimer’s or dementia care, our memory care services will be helpful. Hospice care keeps seniors comfortable at the end of life.

Families and seniors trust Assisting Hands Home Care for the qualifications our trained, CPR-certified caregivers possess and our consistently high ratings. We support seniors living in Orlando, Florida, and the surrounding areas. Schedule a free in-home consult and learn about quality senior home care.