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The choice for breast cancer surgery: can women accurately predict postoperative quality of life and disease-related stigma?

Publication ,  Journal Article
Waljee, JF; Ubel, PA; Atisha, DM; Hu, ES; Alderman, AK
Published in: Annals of surgical oncology
September 2011

To make an informed choice, breast cancer patients facing surgery must imagine the effect of surgery on their future life experiences. However, the accuracy of patient predictions of postoperative quality of life (QoL) and disease-related stigma is not well understood.Four groups of breast cancer patients at the University of Michigan Medical Center were surveyed by mail and interview (response rate 76.3%): (1) preoperative (N = 59), (2) mastectomy (N = 146), (3) mastectomy with reconstruction (N = 250), and (4) breast conservation (N = 705). Subjects rated their QoL (1 = lowest, 100 = highest) and stigma (1 = lowest, 5 = highest) and estimated QoL and stigma associated with mastectomy alone, mastectomy with reconstruction, and breast conserving surgery (BCS). Mean scores were compared using linear regression controlling for age, race, partnered status, and income.Preoperatively, women inaccurately predicted postoperative QoL and stigma for all surgical options, particularly for mastectomy. Preoperative patients underestimated the postoperative QoL for mastectomy alone (predicted: 56.8 vs actual: 83.7; P < .001). Preoperative patients underestimated QoL following mastectomy following reconstruction (predicted: 73.4 vs actual: 83.9; P < .001) and BCS (predicted: 72.2 vs actual: 88.6; P < .001). Additionally, preoperative patients overestimated stigma related to mastectomy (predicted: 3.25 vs actual: 2.43; P < .001). Finally, preoperative women overestimated stigma related to mastectomy with reconstruction (predicted: 2.54 vs actual: 2.03; P < .001) and BCS (predicted: 1.90 vs actual: 1.76; P < .001).Predicting QoL and stigma following breast cancer surgery is challenging for patients facing a diagnosis for surgery. Identifying strategies to better inform patients of surgical outcomes can improve the decision-making process.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Annals of surgical oncology

DOI

EISSN

1534-4681

ISSN

1068-9265

Publication Date

September 2011

Volume

18

Issue

9

Start / End Page

2477 / 2482

Related Subject Headings

  • Women
  • Quality of Life
  • Prognosis
  • Prejudice
  • Postoperative Period
  • Patient Satisfaction
  • Oncology & Carcinogenesis
  • Middle Aged
  • Mastectomy, Segmental
  • Mastectomy
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Waljee, J. F., Ubel, P. A., Atisha, D. M., Hu, E. S., & Alderman, A. K. (2011). The choice for breast cancer surgery: can women accurately predict postoperative quality of life and disease-related stigma? Annals of Surgical Oncology, 18(9), 2477–2482. https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-011-1582-x
Waljee, Jennifer F., Peter A. Ubel, Dunya M. Atisha, Emily S. Hu, and Amy K. Alderman. “The choice for breast cancer surgery: can women accurately predict postoperative quality of life and disease-related stigma?Annals of Surgical Oncology 18, no. 9 (September 2011): 2477–82. https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-011-1582-x.
Waljee JF, Ubel PA, Atisha DM, Hu ES, Alderman AK. The choice for breast cancer surgery: can women accurately predict postoperative quality of life and disease-related stigma? Annals of surgical oncology. 2011 Sep;18(9):2477–82.
Waljee, Jennifer F., et al. “The choice for breast cancer surgery: can women accurately predict postoperative quality of life and disease-related stigma?Annals of Surgical Oncology, vol. 18, no. 9, Sept. 2011, pp. 2477–82. Epmc, doi:10.1245/s10434-011-1582-x.
Waljee JF, Ubel PA, Atisha DM, Hu ES, Alderman AK. The choice for breast cancer surgery: can women accurately predict postoperative quality of life and disease-related stigma? Annals of surgical oncology. 2011 Sep;18(9):2477–2482.
Journal cover image

Published In

Annals of surgical oncology

DOI

EISSN

1534-4681

ISSN

1068-9265

Publication Date

September 2011

Volume

18

Issue

9

Start / End Page

2477 / 2482

Related Subject Headings

  • Women
  • Quality of Life
  • Prognosis
  • Prejudice
  • Postoperative Period
  • Patient Satisfaction
  • Oncology & Carcinogenesis
  • Middle Aged
  • Mastectomy, Segmental
  • Mastectomy