Age-specific incidence ratios of breast cancer (BC) in Turkey: BC in older people is increasing

Life expectancy has greatly increased in the last century. In the last decades, cancer in the older people has become an increasingly common problem owing to the prolonged life-expectancy of the general population and to the improved management of common cancers. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the age-specific incidence ratios in patients with BC. Data were collected from hospital-based registries from 1988 to 2007. A total of 10,149 patients were assessed. The median age at diagnosis was 50 years. When compared to Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) data, these values were found to be 11 years younger than American patients. Trends consist of the median ages of patients were increased during years (p < 0.001). Along the years, especially in the last years, the ratios of cancer patients of older than 70 years were significantly increased among the BC patient populations. In conclusion, BC in older person has become an increasingly common problem in the last years.