Weathering the Storm: Managing Older Adults With Breast Cancer Amid COVID-19 and Beyond

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  • Freedman, R.A.
    • Other Affiliation: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
  • Sedrak, M.S.
    • Other Affiliation: City of Hope
  • Bellon, J.R.
    • Other Affiliation: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
  • Block, C.C.
    • Other Affiliation: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
  • Lin, N.U.
    • Other Affiliation: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
  • King, T.A.
    • Other Affiliation: Brigham and Women's Hospital
  • Minami, C.
    • Other Affiliation: Brigham and Women's Hospital
  • VanderWalde, N.
    • Other Affiliation: University of Tennessee Health Science Center
  • Jolly, T.A.
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology
  • Muss, H.B.
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology
  • Winer, E.P.
    • Other Affiliation: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Abstract
  • Caring for older patients with breast cancer presents unique clinical considerations because of preexisting and competing comorbidity, the potential for treatment-related toxicity, and the consequent impact on functional status. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, treatment decision making for older patients is especially challenging and encourages us to refocus our treatment priorities. While we work to avoid treatment delays and maintain therapeutic benefit, we also need to minimize the risk for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) exposures, myelosuppression, general chemotherapy toxicity, and functional decline. Herein, we propose multidisciplinary care considerations for the aging patient with breast cancer, with the goal to promote a team-based, multidisciplinary treatment approach during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. These considerations remain relevant as we navigate the "new normal" for the approximately 30% of breast cancer patients aged 70 years and older who are diagnosed in the United States annually and for the thousands of older patients living with recurrent and/or metastatic disease.
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DOI
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Resource type
  • Article
Rights statement
  • In Copyright
Journal title
  • Journal of the National Cancer Institute
Journal volume
  • 113
Journal issue
  • 4
Page start
  • 355
Page end
  • 359
Language
  • English
ISSN
  • 1460-2105
Publisher
  • NLM (Medline)

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