Treatments patterns of vulvar cancer in the elderly

• Published in: Surgical oncology Vol. 13; no. 4; pp. 187 - 191
• Main Authors: Vlastos, A.-T., Usel, M., Beffa, V., Petignat, P., Neyroud-Caspar, I., Bouchardy, C., Vlastos, G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 01-12-2004; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Breast cancer; Cancer therapies; Chemotherapy; Classification; Disease; Elderly; Female; Human papillomavirus; Humans; Life expectancy; Neoplasm Staging; Professional Practice; Public health; Radiation therapy; Radiotherapy; Registries; Statistical methods; Surgery; Survival; Survival Analysis; Switzerland - epidemiology; Treatment Outcome; Vulvar cancer; Vulvar Neoplasms - mortality; Vulvar Neoplasms - pathology; Vulvar Neoplasms - therapy; Womens health; Switzerland; Vulvar cancer; Radiotherapy; Elderly; Survival; Surgery
• ISSN: 0960-7404; 1879-3320
• DOI: 10.1016/j.suronc.2004.10.002

Objective: To evaluate treatment patterns of vulvar cancer in patients over 80 years.
Material and Methods: Between 1979 and 1999, the Geneva Tumor Registry identified 230 women with vulvar cancer. Treatment of patients over 80 years and younger were compared. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to determine disease specific cumulative survival.
Results: Young women are more likely to present in situ lesions compared to their older counterparts. Majority of vulvar cancers were observed in women ⩾80 (
p
<
0.001
) at more advanced stages. Elderly women have either no treatment, either unconventional or inadequate treatments. The Mantel-Haentzel analysis shows a 23.4 OR (IC (95%) 2.9–186.6) of not being treated if the patient is over 80.
Specific 5-years survival was 93% in stage I, compared to 21% in stage IV.
Conclusion: Patients over 80 years are diagnosed at more advanced stages. Less aggressive treatments decrease outcome.