She added that decisions about the most appropriate treatment for each patient are made following a multidisciplinary team meeting, "and always in discussion with patients and carers".

Hilary Tovey, Cancer Research UK's policy manager, said: "We are pleased to see Breakthrough Breast Cancer tackling this important issue. We know that the five-year survival rate for breast cancer decreases for patients over 70 and that this drop in survival goes beyond what might be reasonably expected with age.

"More must be done by governments, the health service and charities to ensure that older women are well informed about their risk of breast cancer, their option to attend breast cancer screening and are being offered a full range of treatment options where this might benefit them."

Source: Cancer Research UK