Awareness of Risk Reducing Strategies amongst High Risk Women referred for Breast Cancer Risk Assessment
Basmah Alhassan, MBBS MSc 1, Stephanie M. Wong, MD MPH 2, Marianne Bou Rjeily MD(c) 3, Victor Villareal-Corpuz RN BSc 4, Ipshita Prakash MD MSc 5, Mark Basik MD 6, Jean Francois Boileau MD MSc 7, Michael Pollak MD 8, William D. Foulkes MBBS PhD 9
1 McGill University, Montreal, Canada, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 2 Department of Surgery, McGill University Medical School, Montreal, QC, Canada, Stroll Cancer Prevention Centre, Sir Mortimer B. Davis Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada, Department of Oncology, McGill University Medical School, Montreal, QC, Canada, 3 Department of Surgery, McGill University Medical School, Montreal, QC, Canada, 4 Jewish General Hospital Stroll Cancer Prevention Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada, 5 Department of Surgery, McGill University Medical School, Montreal, QC, Canada, Stroll Cancer Prevention Centre, Sir Mortimer B. Davis Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada, Department of Oncology, McGill University Medical School, Montreal, QC, Canada, 6 Department of Surgery, McGill University Medical School, Montreal, QC, Canada, Department of Oncology, McGill University Medical School, Montreal, QC, Canada, 7 Department of Surgery, McGill University Medical School, Montreal, QC, Canada, 8 Stroll Cancer Prevention Centre, Sir Mortimer B. Davis Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada,Department of Oncology, McGill University Medical School, Montreal, QC, Canada, 9 Jewish General Hospital Stroll Cancer Prevention Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada, Department of Oncology, McGill University Medical School, Montreal, QC, Canada, Department of Human Genetics, McGill University Medical School, Montreal, QC, Canada
Introduction: Primary prevention of breast cancer in women at elevated risk includes several strategies such as endocrine prevention and risk-reducing mastectomy. The objective of this study was to evaluate awareness of different preventive strategies across high-risk subgroups.
Methods: Women referred for high risk evaluation at our institution between 2020-2022 completed an initial risk assessment questionnaire that included questions around perceived lifetime risk and consideration of preventive strategies. Wilcoxon Rank Sum and Chi-squared tests were used to compare differences across different high risk subgroups.
Results: Overall, 320 women with a median age of 44 years (IQR, 35-53 years) were referred for high risk evaluation; 120 (37.5%) germline pathogenic variant carriers (GPV), 42 (13.4%) with high-risk lesions (HRL) on breast biopsy, and 158 (49.4%) with strong family history (FH; median Tyrer-Cuzick score 27.7, IQR, 21.9-33.5). Patients from different subgroups reported similarly high levels of perceived lifetime risk (p=0.26) and concern around developing breast cancer (p=0.33). Prior to their risk-assessment, most high risk women reported that they had considered increased screening and surveillance (84.0%) and lifestyle strategies to lower risk (79.6%), while fewer patients had considered risk-reducing surgery (39.3%) or endocrine prevention (27.0%). Risk-reducing mastectomy was most considered by GPV carriers (58.9%) relative to those with HRL (32.4%) or strong FH (25.5%, p<0.001). Based on current guidelines, 123 (38.4%) patients presenting for risk assessment were deemed eligible for endocrine prevention, including 85.7% with HRL and 38.6% with strong FH. Consideration of endocrine prevention prior to the first clinic visit was highest in patients with HRL and significantly lower in those with strong FH (43.2% HRL vs. 32.1% GPV vs. 18.9% FH, p=0.004).
Conclusion: Endocrine prevention is the least considered option for prevention of breast cancer in high risk women, despite eligibility in a significant proportion of those presenting with HRL or strong FH. Further research that focuses on improving awareness around endocrine prevention options and systematically evaluating candidacy is warranted.
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Radical chest wall resection and hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy (HART) for radiation-associated angiosarcoma of the breast: 15 years of safe and effective treatment
Alexandra Allard-Coutu, Hon BSc, MDCM, MScClin, FRCSC, University of Ottawa, Barbara Heller, Hon BSc, MD, FRSCS, McMaster University
Introduction: Radiation-associated angiosarcomas (RAS) of the breast are rare vascular tumors arising in a previous radiation field for primary breast cancer. A wide range of treatment strategies exist, and while resection remains the definitive treatment, RAS are associated with a high probability of local recurrence and poor overall prognosis. The sarcoma group at the Juravinski Cancer Centre (JCC) previously reported a case series of nine patients treated with radical resection and adjuvant hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy (HART). Since 2015, this has become the standard of care at McMaster University, and updated outcomes are reported for a series which now includes 14 patients treated with radical resection and adjuvant HART.
Methods: The JCC pathologic database was reviewed between the year 2006-2022 for patients with RAS. Patients who received radical surgery and immediate HART were eligible. A soft tissue sarcoma approach, rather than a mastectomy approach, was used in the surgical resection, with definitive chest wall soft tissue resection down to the level of the pectoralis muscle with en bloc simple mastectomy, including resection of the previously radiated skin below the clavicle to 2cm inferior to the inframammary crease. Definitive immediate soft tissue coverage was achieved with massive local advancement flaps. Radiotherapy was then delivered to 4500 cGy in 45 fractions three times daily using parallel opposed photon beams and electron patching, or volumetric modulated arc therapy. Primary outcome was recurrence-free survival in months, and records were reviewed for descriptive reports of toxicity. Results were compared to other institutions? experiences.
Results: In our cohort of 14 patients, the recurrence rate was 14.3% (n=2), with a median time to recurrence of 36 months. The overall survival was 77.8% over a median follow-up of 36.7 months (range 3-100 months). One of fourteen patients developed LR and metastasis, four died of other causes, one developed LR and remains disease free after re-resection, and eight are alive with no recurrent disease. Median follow up for patients alive with NED was 25 months (n=9). There were ten reports of mild skin toxicity during treatment. One patient developed chronic wound healing complications which eventually resolved, and one patient developed asymptomatic radiation osteitis of a rib.
Conclusion: Our institutional experience suggests that large normal tissue volume reirradiation with hyperfractionated accelerated radiation therapy is safe and results in improved local recurrence rates when compared to series of patients treated without adjuvant radiation.
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The role of anastomotic leak as a potential high-risk criteria in Stage II colon cancer
Ramy Behman, MD PhD 1, Julie Hallet, MD MSc 1, Natalie Coburn, MD MPH 1, Shady Ashamalla, MD MSc 1, Sheron Perera 1, Alyson Mahar, PhD 2, Irene Jeong, MSc 3
1 University of Toronto, 2 University of Manitoba, 3 Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences
Introduction: Anastomotic leak (AL) is common following colorectal cancer (CRC) resection. Previous studies have suggested an association between AL and disease recurrence, but results have been mixed. We examined the impact of AL after CRC resection on disease-free and overall-survival (DFS; OS) and compared AL to established high-risk criteria for which adjuvant chemotherapy is indicated in CRC.
Methods: This is a population-based retrospective cohort study of adults with stage I-III CRC undergoing primary resection (2007-2020). Time-to-event analyses compared DFS (accounting for the competing risk of death) and OS between patients with AL and those without. Fine-Gray and Cox models examined the adjusted association between AL and DFS and OS, respectively, with subgroup analyses by disease site (colon/rectum) and stage. Patients were further stratified by presence of established high risk clinical criteria (obstruction and/or perforation) and/or AL to evaluate the association of AL with outcomes, relative to other high-risk criteria.
Results: Of 57,407 patients included (39,907 colon and 17,500 rectum cancers), AL occurred in 5.9%. Median follow-up was 5.2 (IQR: 2.6-8.8) years. After adjustment, AL was associated with significantly lower DFS for colon (sub-hazard ratio, sHR 1.2, 95%CI 1.1-1.3) but not rectal cancer (sHR 1.0, 95%CI 0.9-1.1). The difference in DFS with was greatest among for Stage II colon cancer, with 3-year DFS of 63.5% (95%CI 61.8%-65.1%) with AL vs 71.4% (95%CI 71.0%-71.8%) without AL (p=0.03). AL was associated with lower OS in both colon (HR 1.4, 95%CI 1.3-1.5 and rectal cancer (HR 1.2, 95%CI 1.1-1.3). Tests of the interaction between AL and chemotherapy were not significant for neither DFS nor OS, suggesting that the impact of AL on outcomes was not mediated by its association with receipt of chemotherapy.
Conclusion: AL is independently associated with increased risk of cancer recurrence for patients with colon cancer, but not for those with rectal cancer, and with lower OS for both colon and rectal cancers. The association between AL and DFS is comparable to that of other established high-risk criteria for which adjuvant chemotherapy is indicated. The role of adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with AL after CRC resection warrants further investigation in efforts to improve outcomes.
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Care trajectory, informational needs and challenges of patients with neuroendocrine tumors: a mixed methods study
Florence Bénard1, Sandrine Huez2, Frédéric Mercier1,3, Marie-Pascale Pomey2, 3, 4
1. Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), 1051 Sanguinet Street, Montreal, QC, H2X 3E4, Canada., 2. Centre d'Excellence pour le Partenariat avec les Patients et le Public, 900 Saint-Denis Street, Montréal, Québec, H2X 0A9, Canada., 3. Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), 900 Saint-Denis Street, Montréal, Québec, H2X 0A9, Canada., 4. School of Public Health, Université de Montréal, 7101 Parc Avenue, Montréal, Québec, H3N 1X9, Canada.
Introduction: Patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) encounter different challenges, including delayed diagnosis and difficulty finding high-quality NET-specific information. The objective was to document NET patients’ care trajectory and explore their informational needs. The study also aimed to report challenges patients faced throughout the course of their disease, more specifically when trying to obtain information, and identify patient-based solutions.
Method: Thirteen NET patients were recruited and completed a questionnaire to collect sociodemographic and disease-related data. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with each patient alone or with their spouse. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysis was conducted using principles of grounded theory. Thirteen patients and four spouses were interviewed. A mean of 26.6 months separated the start of symptoms and the moment of diagnosis. On average, an additional 12.8 months elapsed before referral to a specialized center. 76.5% of patients felt well informed, but only 47.1% believed available information was reliable. Facilitating factors included their relationship with NET specialists, as well as having relatives working in healthcare and a multidisciplinary team, including nurse navigators. Significant challenges included discordances between different sources of information, as well as having limited understanding of medical terms.
In conclusion, there is a need to develop high-quality, vulgarized, accessible sources of information for NET patients. Moreover, rapid referral to NET-specialized centers with access to a multidisciplinary team could ease patients’ care trajectory and facilitate information provision.
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Robotic-assisted surgery in general surgery and sub-specialty training: understanding the landscape and perspectives of Canadian program directors
Anna Dare, MBChB PhD 1, Paul Karanicolas, MD PhD 1, Hala Muaddi, MD PhD 1, Richard Walker, MD 1, Simon Laplante 1, Rachel Roke2
1 University of Toronto, 2 Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Introduction: Adoption of robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) is increasing globally, including in general surgery and sub-specialty disciplines. Uptake of the technology in Canada has been slower, and it?s place in Canadian surgical training is debated. The objective of this work was to determine current exposure to RAS during Canadian general surgery and sub-specialty training, and to understand the perspectives of Canadian program directors (PDs) on the integration of RAS in their surgical training programs and curricula.
Methods: A cross-sectional, email-based, national survey of all Canadian general surgery residency and fellowship PDs was conducted in April 2022.
Results: In total, 24/83 PDs responded to the survey: 11/18 (61.1%) were general surgery residency PDs and 13/66 (19.7%) were Fellowship PDs. 91.7% (n=22/24) of respondents reported their trainees have access to a robotic surgical system, however, only 36.3% stated that this is used by trainees in a clinical setting. Only 16.7% reported having a formal RAS curriculum. Most PDs believed that RAS should be part of surgical training in Canada at the fellowship level (72.7%, n=16). Fewer thought it should be part of residency training (36.3%, n=8). A majority (59%) felt that RAS training would be relevant to the practice setting where their graduates will work.
Conclusion: Despite the presence of RAS platforms at most academic centres in Canada, few trainees have hands-on exposure. A gap exists between current RAS training and its anticipated relevance to trainees upon graduation. Focused discussion on the introduction and place of RAS within Canadian surgical training is warranted, considering educational, clinical and health system needs.
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Medial location of the primary tumor within the breast: a novel association with local recurrence after skin-sparing mastectomy with immediate reconstruction.
Michael Guo, MD 1, Noelle Davis, MD, FRCSC 1, Sita Ollek, MD FRCSC 2, Leo Chen, MSc 1, Caroline Speers, BA 3, Trevor Hamilton, MD FRCSC 1, Alan Nichol, MD CCFP 3, Caroline Lorisch, MD FRCSC 3, Noelle Davis, MD FRCSC1
1 University of British Columbia, 2 Kelowna General Hospital, 3 BC Cancer
Introduction: Skin-sparing mastectomy (SSM) with immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) is oncologically safe and provides superior cosmetic and psychological outcomes in breast cancer. Medial location of the primary tumor has been suggested to be an independent risk factor for local recurrence (LR) and poor survival. This study aims to elucidate risk factors, including tumor location, for LR in patients undergoing SSM with IBR.
Methods: Patients who underwent treatment with SSM and IBR between 1989-2012 were identified from the BC Cancer Breast Cancer Outcomes Unit database. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to evaluate predictive factors for LR.
Results: 698 patients were identified. Median length of follow-up was 9.5 [5.3-13.9] years. LR occurred in 14.3% overall, 22% in medial and 12% in lateral tumor groups. On multivariate analysis, medial tumor location (HR 1.98, 95%CI 1.16 ? 3.38, p=0.01) and radiotherapy (HR 1.83, 95%CI 1.05 ? 3.15, p=0.03) predicted higher risk of LR while chemotherapy (HR 0.51, 95%CI 0.27 ? 0.97, p=0.04) and year of treatment (HR 0.92, 95% CI 088 ? 0.97, p<0.001) predicted lower risk of LR.
Conclusion: Medial location of primary breast tumor was significantly associated with LR. We suggest considering this risk factor when selecting the best surgical approach and adjuvant therapy.
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Prioritizing melanoma surgeries to prevent wait time delays and upstaging of melanoma during the COVID-19 pandemic
Rebecca Lau*, BMSc and Katherine Aw*, BMSc, Carolyn Nessim, MD, MSc, FRCSC, FACS
Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
*These two authors contributed equally to this work.
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the delivery and usage of healthcare services in Canada. For aggressive cancers such as melanoma, prompt diagnosis, staging, and surgical management strongly impact prognosis. Considering the limited resources, emergency closures, and staffing shortages during the pandemic, our institution implemented a dedicated care pathway to prioritize cancer surgeries. We aim to assess whether this strategy was effective at preventing surgical wait time delays and upstaging of melanoma.
Methods: We retrospectively collected data of patients ? 18 years with biopsy-proven primary melanoma who underwent wide local excision between March 1, 2018-February 29, 2020 (pre-COVID) and March 1, 2020-February 28, 2022 (COVID). Patients with distant metastasis, recurrence, and unknown primary were excluded. Wait time from consult to surgery, tumor (T) and nodal (N) stage, and overall stage were collected.??
Results: We included 409 patients [pre-COVID (n = 203) and COVID (n = 206)] with a mean age of 62.2 ± 15.2 years and a male to female ratio of 1.3:1. Average wait time (days) ± SD to surgery was 38.1 ± 23.2 pre-COVID and 40.2 ± 24.0 COVID (p = .482). There were no differences found in T stage (p = .124), N stage (p = .177), or overall melanoma stage (p = .191).
Conclusion: These findings highlight the importance of streamlining melanoma surgery during a pandemic. As we emerge from the pandemic and the need arises to meet surgical backlogs including benign surgery, dedicated cancer surgery should maintain a priority to not negatively affect cancer outcomes.
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Population-Level Breast Reconstruction for Immigrant and Long-term Resident Women undergoing Breast Cancer Surgery
Olivia Lovrics MD MSc 1, Elena Parvez MD MSc FRCPC 1 2, David Kirkwood BScH MS 3, Christopher J Coroneos MD MSc FRCSC 4 5, Nicole Hodgson MD MSc FRCSC 1 2, Aristithes Doumouras MD MPH FRCSC 1 3, Jessica Bogach MD MSc FRCSC 1 2
1 Division of General Surgery, McMaster University, 2 Department of Surgery, Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre, 3 ICES, Toronto ON, 4 Division of Plastic Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, 5 Division of Plastic Surgery, Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre, Hamilton, ON
Introduction: Immigrants are susceptible to marginalization, bias, difficulty navigating the health care system. Breast reconstruction surgery after mastectomy for breast cancer is associated with improved quality of life, and access to reconstruction is an important quality of care metric. This study aims to demonstrate differences in breast reconstruction after mastectomy for breast cancer between immigrant women and Canadian long-term residents in Ontario, Canada.
Methods: A retrospective population-based cohort-study using linked provincial administrative databases of patients with Stage I-III breast cancer diagnosed between 2010-2016. Immigration status was obtained from the federal Immigration Refugee and Citizenship Canada database. Variables including, age, stage, co-morbidity, socio-economic factors, cancer histology, and treatments were collected. Data on treatment facility and characteristics were collected. Proportion of immigrant and Canadian long-term resident women undergoing breast reconstruction were compared. Multivariable analysis was performed to adjust for patient, tumour, and treatment characteristics.
Results: 46,930 long-term residents and 7,160 immigrant women. Immigrant women were younger at diagnosis (median 52 vs. 63 years, p<0.01), and more likely to have Stage III disease (16.8% vs. 13.9%, p<0.01). Immigrant women were more likely to be treated at urban, high-volume breast surgery centers with plastic surgeons. 2,196 immigrant women (30.7%) and 13,656 (29.1%) Canadian-long-term residents underwent mastectomy. On univariate analysis, immigrant women were more likely to undergo breast reconstruction surgery overall when compared to Canadian long-term residents (21.4% vs. 18.9%. p<0.01) but were less likely to undergo delayed reconstruction (13.9% vs. 13.3%, p=0.42). Region of origin, but not time in Canada, were significantly associated with reconstruction uptake. On multivariable logistic regression, immigrant women were less likely to undergo reconstruction when adjusting for baseline covariates [OR 0.59 (0.51-0.68)], including patient characteristics, tumour characteristics, and location.
Conclusion: Immigrant women were more likely to undergo breast reconstruction after mastectomy on univariate analysis, but when adjusting for baseline covariates, the inverse relationship was found. This may be that immigrant women are more often treated at urban, high-volume centers with availability of plastic surgeons, and as a result undergo less reconstruction than would be expected when accounting for these factors.
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Is Rectosigmoid a distinct primary site of colorectal cancer?
Paul Savage, MD, PhD 1, Carol J. Swallow, MD, PhD 1 2, David P. Cyr, MD, MSc 1, Sameer Shivji, MD 3, James Conner, MD, PhD 3, Richard Kirsch, MBChB, PhD 3, Anand Govindarajan, MD, MSc 1 2, Satheesh Krishna, MD 4
1 Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2 Department of Surgical Oncology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 3 Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Richard Kirsch, MBChB, PhD, 4 Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
Introduction: It is unclear whether primary colorectal cancer (CRC) located at the junction between the sigmoid colon and upper rectum (?rectosigmoid?) should be treated as colon or rectal cancer.
Methods: Consecutive patients who underwent resection of a primary colorectal adenocarcinoma at Mount Sinai Hospital from 2011-2016 were identified from a prospective database (N=800). For tumours distal to the left colon (N=400), pre-treatment CT ± MRI images were reviewed to classify site of primary tumour based on relationship to the sigmoid take-off as defined by D?Souza et al. (Ann Surg 2019). Clinicopathologic features and patient outcomes were compared using Kruskal-Wallis, ?2, Kaplan-Meier and log-rank.
Results: Patients were classified as having primary sigmoid (N=147), rectosigmoid (N=89) or upper rectal (N=70) cancer. The proportion who received neoadjuvant therapy was similar for rectosigmoid vs. upper rectal (53% vs. 54%), and less for sigmoid cancer (17%)(p<0.0001). The early re-operation rate was higher following resection of rectosigmoid vs. sigmoid and upper rectal cancer (8% vs. 3% and 0%, p=0.02). Positive resection margins were more frequent for rectosigmoid vs. upper rectal and sigmoid cancer (16% vs. 4% and 5%, respectively p=0.008). At median follow-up of 4.9 years (IQR 2.7-6.0), local recurrence in patients with rectosigmoid cancer (13%) approximated that for upper rectal cancer, which was higher than sigmoid cancer (HR 7.6, 95%CI 2.2-25.7 rectosigmoid vs. sigmoid, p=0.002).
Conclusion: Rectosigmoid cancers account for >10% of all CRC and carry a notably high risk of positive resection margins and local recurrence. Management of rectosigmoid cancer should be distinct from that of colon cancer.
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High Tumour Microenvironment Score is associated with improved overall survival in gastric cancer patients receiving chemotherapy
Daniel Skubleny, MD, PhD , Gina R. Rayat, Msc, PhD, Dan E. Schiller, MD, MSc, Jennifer Spratlin, MD, Sunita Ghosh, PhD
University of Alberta
Introduction: Gastric cancer remains an aggressive disease and is the third most common cause of cancer death worldwide. Molecular heterogeneity in gastric cancer is associated with variable treatment responses to cytotoxic chemotherapy. We evaluated whether complex molecular classification systems in gastric cancer could inform subgroup treatment effects related to chemotherapy.
Methods: Molecular subtypes of the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Asian Cancer Research Group (ACRG), and Tumour Microenvironment (TME) Score were learned from whole transcriptome data using artificial intelligence and applied to a public cohort of 2,202 gastric cancer patients. Bias between gene expression measurement technologies was mitigated using feature-specific quantile normalization. We used propensity score matching to identify comparable patients treated with and without chemotherapy. Matching covariates included molecular subtype scores and clinical characteristics. We assessed survival outcomes using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models.
Results: Our matched cohort included 237 patients treated with chemotherapy and 158 patients who did not receive chemotherapy. The absolute standardized mean difference between covariates was <0.1. Increasing TME high score was associated with improved survival in patients receiving chemotherapy compared to those that did not (Hazard Ratio 0.47 [95% CI 0.29, 0.74], Interaction p=0.04). TCGA and ACRG molecular subtypes as well as tumour stage and location provided no subgroup treatment effect related to chemotherapy.
Conclusion: In a propensity score matched cohort, we identify that gastric cancer patients who receive cytotoxic chemotherapy achieve greater overall survival as the TME score increases. These data could improve patient selection for chemotherapy but must be further validated in a prospective study.
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Surgical decision making in young breast cancer patients: Impact of pre-treatment surgical preference congruence with final surgical treatment on psychosocial health
Melissa L. Wood, MD, BSc, MSc, FRCSC 1, Dr. May Lynn Quan, MD, BSc, MSc, FRCSC 1, Dr. Kelly Metcalfe, RN, PhD 2, Dr. Yuan Xu, MD, PhD 1, Dr. Susan Isherwood, PhD 1, Yue (Flora) Yang, MDSA 1, Xing Wang, MSc
1 University of Calgary, 2 University of Toronto
Introduction: Type of breast surgery in young women is known to impact quality of life. We sought to determine if congruence between pre-treatment surgical preference and final surgery had an impact on psychosocial health.
Methods: Women < 41 with breast cancer in the RUBY study. Patient demographics, pre-consult surgical preference, surgery type, psychosocial outcomes, and congruence were collected. Outcomes were decision regret, anxiety, PHQ-9, and BreastQ. Univariate data analyses were performed.
Results: Among 1000 women, median age was 37 years; 39.2% had breast conserving surgery and 60.8% mastectomy. In total, 326 women expressed congruence, 206 non-congruence, while 468 had no preference. Reasons for mastectomy differed significantly; ?what I wanted? (congruent 87.4%, non-congruent 55.7%, no preference 70.9%; p < 0.001) and ?surgeon recommended? (congruent 39.4%, non-congruent 74.5%, no preference 60.3%; p < 0.001). At baseline, global anxiety was significantly higher (p = 0.02) in the non-congruent compared to the congruent/no preference groups. Depression, decision regret, and overall anxiety were not significantly different post-surgery. When stratified by surgery type, using the BreastQ assessment, post-treatment breast satisfaction (p = 0.03), and psychosocial wellbeing (p = 0.05), were significantly poorer in the non-congruent group.
Conclusion: Non-congruent status of preop preference to actual surgery is significantly associated with higher baseline global anxiety and poorer psychosocial wellbeing. Awareness of these psychosocial implications may provide an opportunity to develop targeted support.