title: Receipt of delayed breast reconstruction after mastectomy: do women revisit the decision?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Postmastectomy breast reconstruction is an important component of breast cancer care, but few receive it at the time of the mastectomy. Virtually nothing is known about receipt of reconstruction after initial cancer therapy and why treatment might be delayed.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 5-year follow-up survey was mailed to a population-based cohort of mastectomy-treated breast cancer patients who were initially surveyed at time of diagnosis in 2002 and reported to the Los Angeles and Detroit SEER registries (N = 645, response rate 60%). Outcomes were receipt of reconstruction (immediate [IR], delayed [DR], or none) and patient appraisal of their treatment decisions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  About one-third (35.9%) had IR, 11.5% had DR, and 52.6% had no reconstruction. One-third delayed reconstruction because they focused more on other cancer interventions, and nearly half were concerned about surgical complications and interference with cancer surveillance. Two-thirds of those with no reconstruction said that the procedure was not important to them. A large proportion of all patients were satisfied with their reconstruction decision-making (89.4% IR, 78.4% DR, 80.4% no reconstruction, P = NS). However, only 59.3% of those with no reconstruction felt that they were adequately informed about their reconstructive options (vs 82.7% IR and 78.4% DR, P < .01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was modest uptake of breast reconstruction after initial cancer treatment. Factors associated with delayed reconstruction were primarily related to uncertainty about the procedure, concern about cancer surveillance, and low priority. Those without reconstruction demonstrated significant informational needs, which should be addressed with future research efforts.
authors.affiliation: Section of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. amyaldermanmd@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Amy K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Alderman
authors.forename: Sarah T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Hawley
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morrow
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Salem
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Graff
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Katz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D002285:Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016462:Mammaplasty; D008408:Mastectomy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011379:Prognosis; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D018426:SEER Program; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology