Patient-Reported Outcome Measures May Add Value in Breast Cancer Surgery

Considering the comparable prognosis in early-stage breast cancer after breast-conserving therapy (BCT) and mastectomy, quality of life should be a focus in treatment decision(s). We retrospectively collected PROs and analyzed differences per type of surgery delivered. We aimed to obtain reference values helpful in shared decision-making.

pTis-T3N0-3M0 patients operated between January 2005 and September 2016 were eligible if: (1) no chemotherapy was administered < 6 months prior to enrolment, and (2) identical surgeries were performed in case of bilateral surgery. After consent, EQ-5D-5L, EORTC-QLQ-C30/BR23, and BREAST-Q were administered. PROs were evaluated per baseline characteristics using multivariable linear regression models. Outcomes were compared for different surgeries as well as for primary (PBC) and second primary or recurrent (SBC) breast cancer patients using analyses of variance (ANOVAs).

The response rate was 68%. PROs in 612 PBC patients were comparable to those in 152 SBC patients. Multivariable analyses showed increasing age to be associated with lower "physical functioning" [β - 0.259, p < 0.001] and "sexual functioning" [β - 0.427, p < 0.001], and increasing time since surgery with less "fatigue" [β - 1.083, p < 0.001]. Mastectomy [β - 13.596, p = 0.003] and implant reconstruction [β - 13.040, p = 0.007] were associated with lower "satisfaction with breast" scores than BCT. Radiation therapy was associated with lower satisfaction scores than absence of radiotherapy.

PRO scores were associated with age, time since surgery, type of surgery, and radiation therapy in breast cancer patients. The scores serve as a reference value for different types of surgery in the study population and enable prospective use of PROs in shared decision-making.