Breast cancer is more prevalent in older women. Fifty percent of breast cancer cases occur in women 65 years and older. Women past the age of 65 are at higher risk of dying from breast cancer. Factors such as smoking, family health history, diet, alcohol usage and lifestyle/exercise increase a woman's risk of developing breast cancer.
Older female breast cancer patients should consult an oncologist for the best treatment options. Treatments vary depending on the individual case. If older women find breast lumps or experience unusual breast swelling or pain, they should seek immediate medical attention. The following treatments are the most widely used treatments for older breast cancer patients.
Surgery
Depending on their stage of breast cancer, most breast cancer patients opt for a lumpectomy or a partial or radical mastectomy. A lumpectomy is when a portion of the cancerous breast tissue is removed. Partial mastectomy is a surgical procedure that removes part of one of the breasts. A radical mastectomy surgically removes both breasts. Radical mastectomies are usually performed when older women have advanced Stage 4 breast cancer. If lymph nodes are found to be cancerous, they are also sometimes removed by the surgeon to eliminate the cancer spreading to tissue, bones and organs.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy also is used for localized breast cancer to stop tumor growth. Radiation therapy kills cancerous cells by using external-beam irradiation on the tumor or cancerous area. For older patients, this therapy is primarily used if she has been diagnosed with Stage 1 or 2 cancer and when the when lymph nodes are cancer-free. Radiation therapy also is used in combination with chemotherapy or post-surgery, depending upon the severity of the patient's cancer.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy involves intravenous or oral drugs administered to patients to kill cancerous cells, usually prescribed post-surgery or along with radiation treatments. An older woman's immune system may be compromised as a result of large doses of chemotherapy. Chemotherapy drugs also kill healthy cells, lowering the immune system. Sometimes lower doses of chemotherapy are prescribed in older women.
Hormone Replacement Drugs
Hormone replacement drugs such as Tamoxifen are given to older female patients along with surgery, chemotherapy or radiation treatments. Tamoxifen increases estrogen production, which is beneficial to breast cancer patients, as reduced estrogen production has been linked to breast cancer in older women.
Warning
The best protection against breast cancer in older women is early detection which includes yearly mammograms and self-breast exams.
Tags: breast cancer, breast cancer patients, cancer patients, older women, breast cancer, Radiation therapy
