Age-ism in Breast Cancer Study

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Ageism in breast cancer shortens lives -study By Reaney LONDON, July 9 (Reuters) - Elderly women with breast cancer are not being offered life-prolonging surgery because of discrimination and ageism in healthcare services, British researchers said on Monday. Women in their 70s in Britain and elsewhere are often only given the drug tamoxifen for breast cancer, while their younger counterparts have surgery as well as the hormone therapy. But a new study, dubbed the "Golden Oldies Trial," shows that surgery and tamoxifen -- the gold standard of care for breast cancer -- would also benefit elderly women and add years to their lives. "Surgery had a significant influence on survival. The older women having what we would consider conventional treatment for younger women were living longer," Professor Baum of University College in London told Reuters. Baum said ageism was the reason why older women with operable breast cancer did not routinely have their tumour removed. They might not be considered fit enough for surgery or doctors might want to spare them the discomfort of an invasive procedure. He and his colleagues compared the two treatment options on 455 women over 70 years old who had been randomly selected to have surgery and tamoxifen or just the drug. After 12 years of follow-up, they found that the women in the dual treatment group lived about three years longer. Dr June Crown, the head of the advocacy group Age Concern, described withholding surgery for any reason as discrimination. "Breast cancer is a horrific thing for any woman to face, regardless of her age. The prospect of having the fundamental choice of treatment taken away from you on the basis of your age is quite simply age discrimination -- whatever the intentions might be," she said in a statement. Tamoxifen, which is sold by Anglo-Swedish drug giant AstraZeneca under the brand name Nolvadex, is a drug used to prevent and treat breast cancer. It works by neutralising the action of the female hormone oestrogen, which stimulates breast cancer growth. Studies have shown it is effective for treating early and advanced breast cancer, particularly in women over 50 who are most likely to develop the disease. It has also been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in preventing breast cancer in women with a high risk of getting the disease.

Martha Murdock, DirectorNational Silicone Implant FoundationDallas, Texas Headquarters

Purposes for which the Corporation (NSIF) is organized are to perform the charitable activities within the meaning of Internal Revenue Code Section 501©(3) and Texas Tax Code Section 11.18 ©(1).Specifically, the Corporation is organized for the purposes of education and research of Silicone-related disease.

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