Breast Cancer Over 70: How Much Treatment Is Enough?

(HealthDay News) — Many women older than 70 can safely receive fewer treatments for early-stage breast cancer, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that adding lymph node removal or radiation to women’s treatment did not seem to cut their risk of a breast cancer recurrence, which was low overall.

The findings, experts said, support existing recommendations to “de-escalate” those procedures for many older women.

The point is to spare them of side effects from treatments that are unlikely to bring benefits, said Adrian Lee, one of the researchers on the study. (Read more…)