Choosing Between Mastectomy and Breast-Conserving Therapy: Is Patient Distress an Influencing Factor?

Breast-conserving therapy (BCT) offers oncologic outcomes similar to those of mastectomy, yet many patients, when provided the option, choose mastectomy. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between patient-reported distress and surgical decisions and to determine factors predictive of choosing BCT versus mastectomy.

Patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer deemed candidates for BCT who completed a distress screen at their initial visit to an academic institution between 2016 and 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. This screening tool captures distress in emotional, social, health, and practical domains on a scale of 0 to 10. The distress scores were compared against surgical decisions using nonparametric Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. Patient factors associated with surgical choice were analyzed using chi-square, Fisher's exact, and Student's t tests. A two-sided p value lower than 0.05 was considered significant.

Of 506 patients deemed eligible for BCT, 430 (85%) chose BCT and 76 (15%) pursued mastectomy. The distress levels did not differ significantly between the surgical options. The patients who underwent mastectomy were on the average younger (50.7 vs 60.4 years; p < 0.0001), presented with palpable masses (p < 0.0001), had stage 0, 2, or 3 versus stage 1 disease (p < 0.0001), sought consultation for second opinions (19.7% vs 8.6%; p = 0.0032), received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (31.6% vs 16.3%; p = 0.0016), or had deleterious gene mutations (21.1% vs 5.1%; p < 0.0001).

Distress was not associated with the pursuit of surgical treatment. Rather, younger age, search for a second opinion, and a palpable mass present at presentation were associated with more aggressive surgical decisions. Understanding factors that influence surgical decision-making is critical in guiding informed decisions that reflect patient values.