How to treat breast cancer in elderly people with diabetes?

Question

Hello doctor,

My 78-year-old mother-in-law was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. She has a 2.5 inches estrogen receptor/progesterone receptor (ER/PR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative tumor in her left breast. She also has type 2 diabetes with a hemoglobin A1C of 8.2 and severe osteoporosis with a T-score of -3.2.

She is frail and scared, and her oncologist is concerned about potential complications from treatment. How will her other health conditions impact her cancer treatment? What are her chances of survival? We want to ensure she gets the best care possible.

Kindly suggest.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I can understand your concern.

I understand your concerns regarding your mother-in-law’s health. She has type 2 diabetes, which is poorly controlled, and severe osteoporosis. Her breast cancer diagnosis shows a 2.5-inch invasive carcinoma, which is estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) positive, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 HER2 negative, a favorable sign for prognosis.

To determine the stage of the disease, a positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) scan is needed to evaluate axillary lymph nodes and distant metastases.

Treatment would include controlling her diabetes, followed by neoadjuvant chemotherapy (six cycles over three to four months), hormonal therapy, and either breast-conserving surgery with radiation or a mastectomy with axillary lymph node clearance, depending on the staging. The 10-year survival rate for this type of cancer is approximately 68 percent.

I hope this helps.

Let me know if you have any other concerns.

Thank you.