Patient care decisions occur in the context of breast cancer and other age-related conditions. Comorbidity in older patients may limit the ability to obtain prognostic information (ie, axillary lymph node dissection), tends to minimize treatment options (eg, breast-conserving therapy), and increases the risk of death from causes other than breast cancer.
Because the racial disparity was confined to earlier stages, future studies should investigate whether blacks have more advanced disease at diagnosis and whether less aggressive treatment is provided because of understanding.
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