Outcome of adjuvant chemotherapy in elderly patients with early-stage, hormone receptor-positive, HER-2-negative breast cancer

The proportion of breast cancer cases among elderly (over 70 years old) patients is expected to rise from 24% to 35% by the next decade. However, elderly patients with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2)-negative, node-negative breast cancer were underrepresented in prior landmark prospective trials. Using a nationwide hospital cancer registry, our study of 12 004 elderly patients demonstrates that adjuvant chemotherapy was not associated with overall survival (hazards ratio [HR] 0.96, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.77-1.20, P =.71). Given the toxicities associated with systemic treatment, cautious recommendation or the omission of chemotherapy may be considered in select elderly patients.