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Breast Cancer in Older Women

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Breast Disease

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Abstract

Breast cancer risk increases with age and as life expectancy continues to increase; therefore, breast cancer in older women has become a significant public health concern. The basic principles of imaging, diagnosis, and treatment remain standard for all women with breast cancer. However, in the elderly population, comorbid conditions, life expectancy, and quality of life take on particular importance for the clinician to consider and balance with treatment decisions. Historically, older women have been poorly represented in breast cancer trials, and their surgical and adjuvant treatment often differs from that of younger women. More information is needed regarding the impact of breast cancer and its treatment on the growing population of older women with breast cancer. In this chapter, the role of screening, diagnosis, and treatment of breast cancer in older women and some of the special considerations relevant to this population of patients will be reviewed.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County and Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA

    Denise Monahan MD

  2. Department of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA

    Nora Hansen MD

Authors
  1. Denise Monahan MD
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  2. Nora Hansen MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Denise Monahan MD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Inst of Oncology,Ist Tıp Fak, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Adnan Aydiner

  2. General Surgery, Istanbul Univ Istanbul Fac of Med, Istanbul, Turkey

    Abdullah İgci

  3. Breast Surgery,, Magee-Womens Hospital, Pittsburg, USA

    Atilla Soran

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Monahan, D., Hansen, N. (2016). Breast Cancer in Older Women. In: Aydiner, A., İgci, A., Soran, A. (eds) Breast Disease. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26012-9_21

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26012-9_21

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-26010-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-26012-9

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