Background:
Women with the medical history of breast cancer constitute the biggest group of patients who survived cancer. In Iran and other countries only limited patients elect reconstruction surgery
Aim:
to evaluate the rate of tendency to breast reconstruction surgery among women with breast cancer who had mastectomy but did not reconstruction surgery and assess associated factors that effect on their decision
Methods:
This cross sectional study was conducted in Mashhad, Iran during 2013. 108 consecutive patients with breast cancer after mastectomy were completed the valid and reliable questionnaire about their attitude towards breast reconstruction surgery and associated factors. Demographic data and 21 items of questionnaire were compared between patients with tendency to breast reconstruction and who did not.
Results:
In this study 62 (57.4%) patients had a tendency to breast reconstruction and 46(42.6%) of them had not. the most of the participants (45%) belong to age group of 35-45 year old. 81% were married, 11% were single and others were divorced or widow. 31% had a college education and 16%had only a high school diploma. The mean age of patients in first group (43.3±8.03) was 6.3 year lesser than the second group (49.6±9.9) (P<0.001). The frequency of agreement about impact of the following items on their decision was significantly different between two groups. Impact of breast reconstruction on appearance and beauty (P<0.001), mood (P=0.001), Family living conditions (P<0.001) and their opinion (P<0.001). Lack of sufficient information (p=0.01), Physician's opinion (p<0.001) and Priority of Cancer Breast Treatment (p=0.02).
Conclusions:
More than half of the patients have a tendency to breast reconstruction surgery although they did not it yet. Identify the factors that can increase the tendency and factors that help to change the intention to action are important and should be investigate in future research.