Researchers: In evaluating breast cancer surgery options, women’s instincts outweigh medical recommendations

PROVIDENCE – A research team at the Breast Health Center at Women & Infants Hospital has discovered that women’s instincts about the preferred surgical option to remove their breast cancer carry more weight than their surgeon’s advice and their partner’s input.

Led by Dr. Rebecca M. Kwait, a breast health fellow, the team prepared a manuscript documenting their findings. Presented at the New England Association of Gynecologic Oncologists’ annual meeting, “Influential Forces in Breast Cancer Surgical Decision-Making and Impact on Body Image and Sexual Function” is due to be published in the Annals of Surgical Oncology this fall, according to a statement from Women & Infants Hospital, a Care New England facility.

“With the great advances in screening and treatment for breast cancer, leading to prolonged survival rates as high as 98 percent, survivorship outcomes have become an increasingly important consideration among patients. Women must consider quality of life and intimacy after surgery; these become influencing factors when they make decisions about their care,” Kwait said in a statement.

The research team wanted to evaluate the reasons for the steadily increasing percentage of patients with early stage breast cancer who chose a mastectomy with reconstructive surgery, rather than a lumpectomy. In addition, while significant research exists demonstrating the relationship between surgery and a woman’s self-confidence and sexual satisfaction, there was a dearth of research addressing who or what influenced a woman’s decision-making about surgical choices.

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The researchers expressed surprise that most of the women opting for a mastectomy relied primarily on their own decision-making, rather than input from their surgeon or partner. In contrast, women choosing to undergo a lumpectomy viewed their surgeon as the most influential factor. Researchers also found that surgery choices can significantly impact their intimate relationships in a variety of ways. Given such findings, clinicians should address these issues, as part of the informed surgical consent conversations, with their patients, Kwait added.

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