Age Factor Found in Treatment for Breast Cancer

WASHINGTON — Younger women with an early form of breast cancer may have less tissue removed when doctors cut out the tiny tumor than older women do, says a new study that questions whether cosmetic concerns leave younger women more at risk.

At issue is “ductal carcinoma in situ,” a tumor that forms inside milk ducts in the breast and usually is discovered by mammography. This is a highly curable form of breast cancer, and women typically receive a lumpectomy--removal of the tumor--followed by radiation.

The study, published today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, analyzed the long-term outcomes of 146 Michigan patients who had lumpectomies and radiation between 1980 and 1993. Younger patients had a greater rate of cancer recurrence than older women--26% in women under age 45 vs. 9% of older women.