Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among women worldwide and more than half are diagnosed above the age of 60 years. Life expectancy is increasing and the number of breast cancer cases diagnosed among older women are expected to increase. Undertreatment, mostly due to unjustifiable fears of advanced-age and associated comorbidities, is commonly practiced in this group of patients who are under-represented in clinical trials and their management is not properly addressed in clinical practice guidelines. With modern surgery and anesthesia, breast surgeries are considered safe and is usually associated with very low complication rates, regardless of extent of surgery. However, oncoplastic surgery and management of the axilla can be tailored based on patients’- and disease-related factors. Most of chemotherapeutic agents, along with targeted therapy and anti-Human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) drugs can be safely given for older patients, however, dose adjustment and close monitoring of potential adverse events might be needed. The recently introduced cyclin-D kinase (CDK) 4/6-inhibitors in combination with aromatase inhibitors (AI) or fulvestrant, which changed the landscape of breast cancer therapy, are both safe and effective in older patients and had substituted more aggressive and potentially toxic interventions. Despite its proven efficacy, adjusting or even omitting adjuvant radiation therapy, at least in low-risk older patients, is safe and frequently practiced. In this paper, we review existing data related to breast cancer management among older patients across the continuum; from resection of the primary tumor through adjuvant chemotherapy, radiation and endocrine therapy up to the management of recurrent and advanced-stage disease.
ASCO Guidelines provide recommendations with comprehensive review and analyses of the relevant literature for each recommendation, following the guideline development process as outlined in theASCO Guidelines Methodology Manual. ASCO Guidelines follow theASCO Conflict of Interest Policy for Clinical Practice Guidelines .
Clinical Practice Guidelines and other guidance (“Guidance”) provided by ASCO is not a comprehensive or definitive guide to treatment options. It is intended for voluntary use by clinicians and should be used in conjunction with independent professional judgment. Guidance may not be applicable to all patients, interventions, diseases or stages of diseases. Guidance is based on review and analysis of relevant literature, and is not intended as a statement of the standard of care. ASCO does not endorse third-party drugs, devices, services, or therapies and assumes no responsibility for any harm arising from or related to the use of this information. See complete disclaimer in
Appendix 1
and
Appendix 2
(online only) for more
. PURPOSE: To provide evidence-based recommendations for patients with stage IV non–small cell lung cancer with driver alterations. METHODS: This ASCO living guideline offers continually updated recommendations based on an ongoing systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), with the latest time frame spanning March-October 2025. An Expert Panel of medical oncology, pulmonary, community oncology, research methodology, and advocacy experts was convened. The literature search included systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and RCTs. Outcomes of interest include efficacy and safety. Expert Panel members used available evidence and informal consensus to develop evidence-based guideline recommendations. RESULTS: This guideline consolidates all previous updates and reflects the body of evidence informing this guideline topic. Thirteen studies were identified in the latest search of literature to date. RECOMMENDATIONS: Evidence-based recommendations were updated to address first, second, and subsequent treatment options for patients with driver alterations. Additional information is available at www.asco.org/thoracic-cancer-guidelines .
Living guidelines are developed for selected topic areas with rapidly evolving evidence that drives frequent change in recommended clinical practice. Living guidelines are updated on a regular schedule by a standing expert panel that systematically reviews the health literature on a continuous basis, as described in theASCO Guidelines Methodology Manual. ASCO Living Guidelines follow theASCO Conflict of Interest Policy Implementation for Clinical Practice Guidelines
. Living Guidelines and updates are not intended to substitute for independent professional judgment of the treating clinician and do not account for individual variation among patients. See appendix for disclaimers and other important information (
Appendix 1
and
Appendix 2
). Updates are published regularly and can be found at
https://ascopubs.org/nsclc-non-da-living-guideline .
Living guidelines are developed for selected topic areas with rapidly evolving evidence that drives frequent change in recommended clinical practice. Living guidelines are updated on a regular schedule by a standing expert panel that systematically reviews the health literature on a continuous basis, as described in theASCO Guidelines Methodology Manual . ASCO Living Guidelines follow theASCO Conflict of Interest Policy Implementation for Clinical Practice Guidelines .
Living Guidelines and updates are not intended to substitute for independent professional judgment of the treating clinician and do not account for individual variation among patients. See the Appendix for disclaimers and other important information (
Appendix 1
and
Appendix 2 , online only). Updates are published regularly and can be found athttps://ascopubs.org/nsclc-da-living-guideline .
ASCO Guidelines provide recommendations with comprehensive review and analyses of the relevant literature for each recommendation, following the guideline development process as outlined in the
ASCO Guidelines Methodology Manual .
ASCO Guidelines follow the
ASCO Conflict of Interest Policy for Clinical Practice Guidelines .
Clinical Practice Guidelines and other guidance (“Guidance”) provided by ASCO is not a comprehensive or definitive guide to treatment options. It is intended for voluntary use by clinicians and should be used in conjunction with independent professional judgment. Guidance may not be applicable to all patients, interventions, diseases, or stages of diseases. Guidance is based on review and analysis of relevant literature and is not intended as a statement of the standard of care. ASCO does not endorse third-party drugs, devices, services, or therapies and assumes no responsibility for any harm arising from or related to the use of this information. See complete disclaimer in
Appendix 1
and
Appendix 2
(online only) for more
. PURPOSE: To provide evidence-based recommendations for patients with stage IV non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) without driver alterations. METHODS: This ASCO living guideline offers continually updated recommendations based on an ongoing systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), with the latest time frame spanning March-October 2025. An Expert Panel of medical oncology, pulmonary, community oncology, research methodology, and advocacy experts was convened. The literature search included systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and RCTs. Outcomes of interest include efficacy and safety. Expert Panel members used available evidence and informal consensus to develop evidence-based guideline recommendations. RESULTS: This guideline consolidates all previous updates and reflects the body of evidence informing this guideline topic. Six new RCTs were identified in the latest search of the literature to date. RECOMMENDATIONS: Evidence-based recommendations were updated to address first, second, and subsequent treatment options for patients without driver alterations. Additional information is available at www.asco.org/thoracic-cancer-guidelines .
In March 2020, WHO declared COVID-19 a global pandemic which led to many countries closing their borders to contain the spread of the virus, stay-at-home mandates were announced and governmental entities started working on minimal capacity. Delays in visa processing and renewal is one aspect that was hugely impacted by the pandemic and led to interruption in the training of many international medical graduates (IMGs). In this manuscript, we share our stories and perspective on the challenges faced by IMGs holding J-1 visa during COVID-19 pandemic.