Age Factor Found in Treatment for Breast Cancer

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.