Information needs of older women faced with a choice of primary endocrine therapy or surgery for early-stage breast cancer : a literature review

Primary endocrine therapy (PET) as an alternative to surgery is widely used in the UK for the treatment of older women with operable breast cancer. For women over 70 it has equivalent overall survival to surgery, although local control rates may be inferior. There are trade-offs to be made in deciding between surgery and PET. There has been little research to investigate the information needs of older women or the involvement in decision making they wish to have when faced with this breast-cancer treatment decision. This review examines the information needs of older women (>65 years) regarding the use of surgery or PET for treating operable primary breast cancer, and identifies their preferred format and media for the presentation of this information. The preference for involvement in treatment decision-making among this group will also be considered. Keywords : Breast cancer; Older women; Primary endocrine therapy; Breast surgery; Information needs; Decision making preferences; Benefits; Risks; Media; Presentation; Format