Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is a disease of aging, and most breast cancer cases and deaths worldwide occur among older adults. The last decades have brought an unprecedented growth in knowledge regarding the molecular bases of breast cancer, which has been followed by an increase in the number of available treatment options and strategies. Unfortunately, in many cases, the available information to treat older women with breast cancer is limited, and there is still a lack of high quality evidence regarding the risks and benefits of treatment in the older population, particularly in those who are vulnerable or frail. In this chapter, we provide an overview of the epidemiology of breast cancer in older adults, on the existing evidence regarding the various available treatment options, on the relevance of shared decision making and outcome prioritization, and on practical ways in which to implement geriatric principles to the care of older women with breast cancer.