Choice for contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) was associated with an improvement in breast satisfaction and psychosocial well-being, a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology has shown.1
CPM is a risk-reducing procedure in patients with breast cancer, either noninvasive or invasive. Although CPMs have become more widely used, there is no apparent survival benefit for patients who do not harbor a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation and there is limited evidence on the impact of its use on quality of life.
For the study, researchers surveyed 7619 female volunteers from the Army of Women who had a history of breast cancer surgery. Of those, 3977 underwent a mastectomy and 1598 had a CPM.
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Researchers found that women undergoing CPM were more likely to be younger than those who did not opt for CPM.
Analyses of patient-reported outcomes showed that average breast satisfaction was higher among those who received a CPM (P<.001) and average physical well-being was reduced in the CPM group compared with those who did not undergo a CPM (P<.001).
Multivariate analyses also demonstrate higher breast satisfaction and psychosocial well-being among patients in the CPM group, but there were no differences between the CPM and no-CPM groups in other quality-of-life domains.
The findings ultimately suggest that patient-reported outcomes data should be considered when counseling women who are contemplating CPM as a breast cancer treatment option.
REFERENCE
1. Hwang ES, Locklear TD, Rushing CN, et al. Patient-reported outcomes after choice for contralateral prophylactic mastectomy [published online ahead of print March 7, 2016]. J Clin Oncol. doi:10.1200/JCO.2015.61.5427.
