Octogenarians with triple negative breast cancer

Background: As the global population ages, we can expect increases in cancer incidence in older individuals. Treatment patterns for triple -negative breast cancer (TNBC) vary by age group, where older individuals (>= 70 years) receive standard of care [(SOC): i.e., chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery] less often than their younger counterparts. Deciding to recommend these treatments for individuals over 80 years can be challenging without evidence -based guidance. Thus, we aimed to investigate the relevance of patient and oncologic factors in pursuing SOC for octogenarians with TNBC. Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of patients aged 80 years or older with TNBC who underwent breast resection across three institutions between 2018 and 2022. Covariates collected from electronic medical reports included pathologic stage, adjuvant therapy received, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status, surgical and non -surgical treatments, and oncologic outcomes. Individuals receiving SOC were compared to those who received informed -deferred (ID) treatment. Results: Of the 76 octogenarians receiving oncologic resection, 21 (27.6 %) TNBC confirmed on pathology. Fifty-seven percent received SOC, and 42.9% received ID. Poorer performance, measured by ECOG score, was statistically associated with ID. ID involved deferral of both chemotherapy and radiation. We did not observe associations between age, cancer stage, surgical treatment, or oncologic outcomes between SOC and ID groups. The reasons for ID comprised shared -decision making deferral, decompensation/hospice driven, and patient preference. Conclusions: This pilot study emphasizes individuals >= 80 years of age may benefit from SOC. The appropriateness of chemotherapy should be directed by tumor biology and potentially functional status, rather than age alone. Geriatric evaluation tools may be helpful in guiding shared -decision making and future research is needed to determine the optimal screening method for informing patient -centered recommendations for TNBC non -surgical therapy.