The breast journal
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To investigate the effectiveness of adjuvant tamoxifen in older women with early-stage breast cancer. Between 1997 and 1999, women > or = 65 years old at diagnosis with stage I-IIIa breast cancer were recruited from four geographic regions of the United States and followed prospectively for 5 years after diagnosis. Data sources included tumor registries, medical records review, and telephone interviews. ⋯ The ratio of adjusted breast cancer mortality hazards was 0.61 (95% CI = 0.31-1.12) for the ever tamoxifen group versus the never tamoxifen group. Similarly, the 5-year overall survival was 81% (95% CI = 76-85) and 70% (95% CI = 61-78) for the ever tamoxifen and never tamoxifen groups, respectively, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.53 (95% CI = 0.37-0.77). Adjuvant tamoxifen is associated with improvement in 5-year breast cancer-specific and overall survival in older women with early-stage breast cancer.