de Boer AZ, van der Hulst HC, de Glas NA, et al. - Researchers investigated the impact of age (70–74 [reference group], 75–79, and ≥ 80 years) on incidences of locoregional and distant recurrence in breast cancer patients, taking competing mortality into account. Using The Netherlands Cancer Registry, a total of 18,419 patients surgically managed for nonmetastasized breast cancer were identified and included in this study. Viewing death without distant recurrence as competing event, they calculated cumulative incidences of recurrence. In patients aged 70–74, 75–79, and ≥ 80 years, the estimated 9-year cumulative incidences of locoregional recurrence were 2.5%, 3.1%, and 2.9%, respectively, and the respective values for distant recurrence were 10.9%, 15.9%, and 12.7%. They found that age was not related to locoregional recurrence risk following adjustment for tumor and treatment features. In this study, a higher risk of distant recurrence was identified in patients aged 75–79 years despite the higher competing mortality, compared with patients aged 70–74 years. Experts concluded that the outcome for older patients with breast cancer could be improved via individualizing treatment by using prediction tools that include competing mortality.