Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 12, 2026
Endoscopic Bilateral Nipple-sparing Mastectomy via a Single Axillary Incision with Immediate Pre-pectoral Implant-based Breast Reconstruction
Published on: May 17, 2024
Effects of mastectomy versus lumpectomy on emotional adjustment to breast cancer: a prospective study of the first
C Pozo1, C S Carver, V Noriega
1Department of Neurology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY.
Purpose:
Procedure (mastectomy v lumpectomy) and choice of procedure were examined as predictors of adjustment to breast cancer in a prospective study of the experiences of the first year after surgery.
Patients And Methods:
Breast cancer patients were interviewed the day before surgery, 10 days after surgery, and at the 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month follow-ups. Patients included 24 women who received mastectomy on strong recommendation, 24 who chose mastectomy for other reasons, and 15 who chose lumpectomy. Subjective well-being was assessed in terms of mood disturbance, perceived quality of life, life satisfaction, marital satisfaction, perceptions of social support, and self-rated adjustment.
Results:
Surgical groups differed in well-being in only one respect: lumpectomy patients reported a higher-quality sex life at 6 and 12 months postsurgery than mastectomy patients. Choice of surgical procedure predicted higher levels of life satisfaction at 3 months.
Conclusion:
The lack of difference between surgical groups in areas other than sexual adjustment replicates previous findings, but extends them by (1) using a fully prospective design, (2) providing data on the period surrounding the surgery (as well as later periods), and (3) examining a broader range of indices of well-being than usual.
