Most new cases and the highest mortality rates of breast cancer occur among middle-aged and old women. The recurrence rate of early-stage invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) among women aged ≥ 50 years and receiving different treatments remains unclear. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine these rates. We used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data for this nationwide population-based cohort study. All women aged ≥ 50 years and diagnosed with early-stage IDC between 2000 and 2015 were identified and divided into three treatment groups, namely, breast conservation therapy (BCT), mastectomy alone (MAS), and mastectomy with radiation therapy (MAS + RT). The recurrence rates of IDC among these groups were then compared. The BCT group had a lower short-term recurrence risk than the MAS and MAS + RT groups (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.00 vs. 2.90 [95% CI 1.36–2.66] vs. 2.07 [95% CI 0.97–4.44]); however, the BCT group also had a higher long-term recurrence risk than MAS and MAS + RT groups (HR 1.00 vs. 0.30 [95% CI 0.26–0.35] vs. 0.43 [95% CI 0.30–0.63]). The high long-term recurrence rate of the BCT group was especially prominent at the 10- and 15-year follow-ups. The results provide valuable evidence of the most reliable treatment strategy for this population. Further studies including more variables and validation in other countries are warranted to confirm our findings.

Background Most new cases and the highest mortality rates of breast cancer occur among middle-aged and old women. The recurrence rate of early-stage invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) among women aged ≥ 50 years and receiving different treatments remains unclear. Methods Therefore, this study was conducted to determine these rates. We used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data for this nationwide population-based cohort study. All women aged ≥ 50 years and diagnosed with early-stage IDC between 2000 and 2015 were identified and divided into three treatment groups, namely, breast conservation therapy (BCT), mastectomy alone (MAS), and mastectomy with radiation therapy (MAS + RT). The recurrence rates of IDC among these groups were then compared. Results The BCT group had a lower short-term recurrence risk than the MAS and MAS + RT groups (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.00 vs. 2.90 [95% CI: 1.36–2.66] vs. 2.07 [95% CI: 0.97–4.44]); however, the BCT group also had a higher long-term recurrence risk than MAS and MAS + RT groups (HR: 1.00 vs. 0.30 [95% CI: 0.26–0.35] vs. 0.43 [95% CI: 0.30–0.63]). The high long-term recurrence rate of the BCT group was especially prominent at the 10- and 15-year follow-ups. Conclusion The results provide valuable evidence of the most reliable treatment strategy for this population. Further studies including more variables and validation in other countries are warranted to confirm our findings.

Background: This study aims to explore the prevalence of depression and examine if resilience is a mediator between interpersonal relationships and depression in senior high school students. Methods: Of 463 randomly selected participants from 3,900 high school students in a high school, 450 (97.19%) consented and completed the structured questionnaire which consisted of 4 parts: Demographics, Inventory of Adolescent Resilience, Taiwan Relationship Inventory for Children and Adolescents, and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale for Children. Results: A total of 94 (20.89%) had depression, out of which 54 (24%) were boys and 40 (17.78%) were girls. Results from the path analysis indicated that resilience and interpersonal relationships were negatively associated with students' depression, and interpersonal relations were partially mediated by resilience to depression after controlling for demographics. Conclusion: Findings support that resilience and better interpersonal relations are protective factors for depression in adolescents. Findings also suggest that better interpersonal relationships can boost resilience to alleviate depression amongst adolescents.