Invasive breast tumors in elderly women over ninety: a case series from a breast surgery center

Surgical therapy for malignant breast neoplasms in women over the age of 90 is used with caution due to the possibility of immediate postoperative complications from extended hospital stays. These patients frequently exhibit frailty, multiple comorbidities, and a limited life expectancy. A retrospective analysis of patients aged 89 and older treated in 2023 at our certified breast surgery center was carried out. The goal was to examine the clinical characteristics, decision-making process, surgical treatment, outcomes, and open questions surrounding this high-risk subpopulation. Ten patients participated in the study. The characteristics of tumors treated with extended lumpectomy or mastectomy were investigated. The average hospital stay was 1.7 nights, and only one patient developed postoperative delirium. The median survival time is currently 8 months. Only one patient received any adjuvant therapy. A multidisciplinary approach in very elderly patients allows for the assessment of acceptable operative risks as well as the limitation of immediate, short-term, and medium-term complications, reducing reluctance to undergo surgical treatment.