Contentment with quality of life among breast cancer survivors with and without contralateral prophylactic mastectomy.
OBJECTIVE
To understand psychosocial outcomes after prophylactic removal of the contralateral breast in women with unilateral breast cancer.


METHODS
We mailed surveys to women with contralateral prophylactic mastectomy after breast cancer diagnosis between 1979 and 1999 at six health care delivery systems, and to a smaller random sample of women with breast cancer without the procedure. Measures were modeled on instruments developed to assess contentment with quality of life, body image, sexual satisfaction, breast cancer concern, depression, and health perception. We examined associations between quality of life and the other domains using logistic regression.


RESULTS
The response rate was 72.6%. Among 519 women who underwent contralateral prophylactic mastectomy, 86.5% were satisfied with their decision; 76.3% reported high contentment with quality of life compared with 75.4% of 61 women who did not undergo the procedure (P = .88). Among all case subjects, less contentment with quality of life was not associated with contralateral prophylactic mastectomy or demographic characteristics, but was associated with poor or fair general health perception (odds ratio [OR], 7.0; 95% CI, 3.4 to 14.1); possible depression (OR, 5.4; 95% CI, 3.1 to 9.2); dissatisfaction with appearance when dressed (OR, 3.5; 95% CI, 2.0 to 6.0); self-consciousness about appearance (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1 to 3.7); and avoiding thoughts about breast cancer (modest: OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.1 to 4.5; highest: OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 0.9 to 3.2).


CONCLUSIONS
Most women undergoing contralateral prophylactic mastectomy report satisfaction with their decision and experience psychosocial outcomes similar to breast cancer survivors without the procedure.
Research and Evaluation Department, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena, USA. ageiger@wfubmc.edu
Ann M
AM
Geiger
Carmen N
CN
West
Larissa
L
Nekhlyudov
Lisa J
LJ
Herrinton
In-Liu A
IL
Liu
Andrea
A
Altschuler
Sharon J
SJ
Rolnick
Emily L
EL
Harris
Sarah M
SM
Greene
Joann G
JG
Elmore
Karen M
KM
Emmons
Suzanne W
SW
Fletcher
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001828:Body Image; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*; D003863:Depression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008408:Mastectomy; D008875:Middle Aged; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000517:prevention & control; D011788:Quality of Life; D019529:Sexuality