Cancer Treatment and Age: Patient Perspectives

Background: Despite some evidence that age does not meaningfully influence the efficacy or toxicity of cancer treatment, older patients tend to receive less comprehensive cancer therapies. Purpose: We conducted a population-based study to evaluate the selection of cancer treatment among the elderly. Methods: Between September 1 and November 30, 1990, we interviewed by telephone a sample of 628 female Wisconsin residents recently diagnosed with breast (507) or colorectal (121) cancer. The women, aged 20–74 at the time of diagnosis, were identified through Wisconsin's statewide tumor registry. The approximately 30-minute long telephone interview, part of a larger study of cancer etiology, included questions on treatment history, physician specialty, and reasons for the selection of specific therapies. Analyses compared the proportion of subjects with various treatment characteristics according to age (