A study of the factors involved in decision making when women are offered choices of surgical treatment for breast cancer between mastectomy and breast conserving surgery

2001 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
pp. S426-S427
Author(s):  
E. White ◽  
M. Hatcher ◽  
K.D. Fortes-Mayer
2006 ◽  
Vol 24 (18_suppl) ◽  
pp. 6031-6031
Author(s):  
S. Hawley ◽  
P. Lantz ◽  
B. Salem ◽  
A. Fagerlin ◽  
N. Janz ◽  
...  

6031 Background: The choice of surgical breast cancer treatment represents an opportunity for shared decision making (SDM), since both mastectomy and breast conserving surgery are viable options. Yet women vary in their desire for involvement in this decision. Correlates of SDM and/or the level of involvement in breast cancer surgical treatment decision-making are not known. Methods: Breast cancer patients of Detroit and Los Angeles SEER registries were mailed a questionnaire shortly after diagnosis in 2002 (N = 1,800, RR: 77%). Their responses were merged with a surgeon survey (N = 456, RR: 80%) for a dataset of 1,547 patients of 318 surgeons. Surgical treatment decision making was categorized into: 1) surgeon-based; 2) shared; or 3) patient-based. The concordance between a woman’s self-reported actual and desired decisional involvement was categorized as having more, less, or the right amount of involvement. Decision making and concordance were each analyzed as three-level dependent variables using multinomial logistic regression controlling for clustering within surgeons. Independent variables included patient clinical, treatment and demographic factors, surgeon demographic and practice-related factors, and a measure of surgeon-patient communication. Results: 37% of women reported the surgery decision was shared, 25% that it was surgeon-based, and 38% that it was patient-based. Two-thirds experienced the right amount of involvement, while 13% had less and 19% had more. Compared to women who reported a shared decision, those with surgeon-based decision were significantly (p < 0.05) more likely to have male surgeons, and those reporting a patient-based decision were more likely to have received mastectomy vs. breast conserving surgery. Women who were less involved in the surgery decision than they wanted were younger and had less education, while those with more involvement (vs. the right amount) more often had male surgeons. Patient-surgeon communication was associated with decisional involvement. Conclusions: Correlates of SDM and decisional involvement relating to surgical breast cancer treatment differ. Determining patients’ desired role in decision making may as important as achieving a shared decision for evaluating perceived quality of care. No significant financial relationships to disclose.


1998 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Guadagnoli ◽  
J C Weeks ◽  
C L Shapiro ◽  
J H Gurwitz ◽  
C Borbas ◽  
...  

PURPOSE To assess the use of breast-conserving surgery in two states reported to differ with respect to surgical treatment of breast cancer. METHODS A retrospective cohort study based on data collected from medical records and patients was performed among 1,514 patients diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in Massachusetts and 1,061 patients in Minnesota. Patients were identified at 18 randomly selected hospitals in Massachusetts and at 30 hospitals in Minnesota. The rate of breast-conserving surgery in both states and the correlates of breast-conserving surgery among women eligible for the procedure were determined. RESULTS The rate of breast-conserving surgery in both states was much higher than previously reported. Among those eligible for the procedure, nearly 75% underwent breast-conserving surgery in Massachusetts and nearly half did so in Minnesota. Significantly (P < .003) more women who underwent mastectomy in Minnesota (27%) than in Massachusetts (15%) reported that their surgeon did not discuss breast-conserving surgery with them. Among women who underwent mastectomy and who reported being informed of both surgical alternatives, more women (P < .001) in Minnesota (74%) than in Massachusetts (62%) said they ultimately chose mastectomy because their surgeon recommended it. In Massachusetts, women treated at teaching hospitals were twice as likely as other women to undergo breast-conserving surgery. In Minnesota, women over age 70 and those who lived in rural areas were less likely than other women to undergo breast-conserving surgery. CONCLUSION Although the rate of breast-conserving surgery in each state was higher than expected based on earlier reports, the rates differed considerably between states. Additional studies are needed to determine whether variation in practice between geographic areas is due to differences in patients' preferences and values or to surgeons' propensity for one type of surgery based on where they practice.


2013 ◽  
Vol 31 (31_suppl) ◽  
pp. 11-11
Author(s):  
Andrea Marie Covelli ◽  
Nancy Baxter ◽  
Margaret Fitch ◽  
Frances Catriona Wright

11 Background: Rates of both unilateral (UM) and contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) for early stage breast cancer (ESBC) have been increasing since 2003. Studies suggest that the increase is due to women playing an active role in decision-making. We do not know what factors are influencing the choice for more extensive surgery. Methods: To identify these factors we completed a multi-method study; conducting a systematic review of quantitative literature and qualitative interviews. Decision-making literature was identified from 5 databases and underwent thematic analysis. Purposive sampling identified women across the Toronto Area (Ontario, Canada), who were suitable candidates for breast conserving surgery (BCS) but underwent UM or CPM. Data saturation was achieved after 29 in-person interviews. Constant comparative analysis identified key concepts and themes. Results: ‘Taking control of cancer’ was the dominant theme. Literature illustrated that patients markedly overestimate risk of local recurrence, contralateral cancer and particularly, mortality. Similarly, interviews revealed that fear of breast cancer was expressed at diagnosis and drives the decision-making process. Despite surgeons discussing survival equivalence of BCS and UM, patients chose UM due to fear of recurrence and an overestimated survival advantage. Similarly, patients chose CPM to eliminate contralateral cancer and a misperceived survival benefit. Women were actively trying to Control Outcomes, as more surgery was believed to offer greater survival and therefore greater control. Conclusions: Both the literature and our interviews have illustrated that women seek UM and CPM for treatment of their ESBC to manage their fear of cancer mortality by undergoing more extensive surgery; this in turn drives mastectomy rates. It is important to understand this process so that we may improve our ability to communicate issues of importance to women and facilitate informed decision-making.


2003 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 149-149
Author(s):  
Jadranka Lakicevic ◽  
Dinka Lakic ◽  
Milan Sorat

Background: Standard treatment of locally advanced breast cancer is not yet established. In most institutions treatment is multimodal and consists of primary chemotherapy, surgical treatment with or without radiotherapy (RT) and hormonal therapy. To find out whether the age influences the kind of surgical treatment in a group of locally advanced breast cancer patients (LABC patients) responding to neo-adjuvant chemotherapy. Methods: Analysis included 39 LABC patients treated from January 2000 till January 2003 with neo-adjuvant chemotherapy and surgical treatment in Clinical Center of Montenegro, Podgorica. All patients had locally advanced disease (T2, T3 or T4b and/or N1-2 M1 sc). Patients with T4d tumors were excluded. The treatment consisted of neo-adjuvant chemotherapy, mostly anthracycline based, and surgical treatment - radical mastectomy or breast conserving surgery. Additional procedures after surgical treatment included 3-4 cycles of the same chemotherapy, hormonal treatment and/or RT. Results: Median age of patients was 47 years (range: 24-67 years). Thirty patients were initially in stage IIIA (14 post- and 16 premenopausal patients respectively), 6 patients in stage IIIB (2 post- and 4 premenopausal respectively), and 3 patients in stage IV, with supraclavicular node involvement (M1+sc, 2 post- and 1 premenopausal, respectively). Applied preoperative chemotherapy was anthracycline-based regimen (FAC, 3-6 cycles) except in one patient in premenopausal group and 2 patients in postmenopausal group, who had been treated with CMF chemotherapy due to anthracycline contraindications. All analyzed patients responded to neo-adjuvant chemotherapy, mostly with partial or minimal remission of their tumors. In a whole group 15/39 (38%) patients had breast conserving surgery (8 pre-, 7 postmenopausal, respectively), 24/39 (61%) patients radical mastectomy (13 pre-, 11 postmenopausal, respectively). In a group of patients old 40 years and younger only 2 partial resections were performed (2/9, 22%), and 7 radical mastectomies. Conclusion: Although in a small group of patients, our results confirmed that effective neo-adjuvant chemotherapy enabled breast surgery of LABC, even breast conservative procedure in some patients. However, breast conservation was not possible in majority of young patients. This suggests the investigation of more aggressive neo-adjuvant treatments, especially in patients old 40 years or younger.


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