European journal of cancer : official journal for European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) [and] European Association for Cancer Research (EACR)
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Comparative Study
Tumor characteristics and recurrence patterns in triple negative breast cancer: a comparison between younger (<65) and elderly (≥65) patients.
In an aging population an increasing number of breast cancers is diagnosed in elderly women. Tumor characteristics and patterns of metastasation have been extensively elucidated in younger triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients, but data regarding TNBC in elderly women are missing. The goal of this investigation was to compare clinical pathological characteristics of younger and elderly TNBC patients in order to assess their relevance for TNBC in an aging population. ⋯ TNBC of elderly patients is an aggressive breast cancer subtype claiming as much attention as TNBC in younger patients, thus warranting chemotherapeutic intervention irrespectively of age.
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Contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) is the most effective option to prevent the occurrence of a second breast cancer in hereditary breast cancer patients. This study aimed to prospectively evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQoL), anxiety and depression, sexuality and body image in breast cancer patients with a family history undergoing CPM with immediate breast reconstruction. ⋯ No adverse effects on HRQoL, anxiety, depression or sexuality were observed. However, some aspects of body image were negatively affected after CPM. These findings could be used in preoperative counselling of breast cancer patients opting for CPM.