Trends in Patient-Reported Outcomes After Breast-Conserving Surgery and Partial-Breast Versus Whole-Breast...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Radiation Oncology
• Surgical Oncology
• Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

• Partial-breast irradiation (PBI) and whole-breast irradiation (WBI) are established breast cancer treatments.
• While oncologic safety is comparable, patient-reported outcomes (PROs) between PBI and WBI remain under investigation.
• The BREAST-Q questionnaire is a validated tool for assessing patient satisfaction and well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare breast satisfaction and chest well-being between patients receiving PBI versus WBI.
• To analyze long-term trends in PROs following different breast irradiation techniques.
• To identify patient and treatment factors associated with breast satisfaction and chest well-being.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 6374 patients undergoing lumpectomy and radiation between 2017-2022.
• BREAST-Q scores assessed preoperatively and postoperatively at 6 months, 1, 2, and 3 years.
• Univariate and multivariate analyses (MVA) used to compare outcomes stratified by radiation type and other variables.

Main Results:

• PBI patients reported higher preoperative breast satisfaction and chest well-being compared to WBI.
• Postoperative breast satisfaction increased and remained above baseline for both groups; chest well-being decreased then gradually increased.
• MVA showed no significant association between radiation type and PROs at any postoperative time point. Adjuvant chemotherapy and low BMI (<20) impacted outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Similar long-term breast satisfaction and chest well-being were observed for PBI and WBI.
• Patient factors (BMI, chemotherapy) significantly influenced long-term PROs more than radiation type.
• PBI is a viable alternative to WBI for eligible patients, offering comparable patient-reported outcomes.