Climb Every Mountain

In developed countries, 40% of breast cancer patients is older than 65 years of
age at diagnosis and this percentage is increasing . High age is predictive for
comorbidity and decreased functioning. Therefore these factors might influence
treatment decisions in elderly breast cancer patients.
In elderly patients, cancer occurs in a background of normal aging and
comorbidity, thereby making this specific population heterogeneous in nature.
In younger patients breast cancer is associated with profound psychological
complaints and a negative effect on quality of life. Elderly patients, on the
other hand, have more indolent tumors and they are affected by the disease
physically more than psychologically. Decline in physical functioning is
associated with higher mortality, regardless of age. Therefore, new strategies
to decrease the effect of breast cancer on physical decline and to improve
overall and disease-specific survival are needed.
Despite the aforementioned differences between younger and older breast cancer
patients, research on cancer survivorship in the elderly is sparse.

To study prevalence and consequences of cognitive, psychological, social and
functional decline in elderly breast cancer patients, in comparison to a
population elderly without breast cancer.

Prospective, non-randomised observational study.

Patients will have to fill out 4 questionnaires in 2 years. These
questionnaires take about 20-30 minutes. The Timed up and Go Test and the MMSE
will take about 10-15 minutes.