Does Quality of Life Among Modified Radical Mastectomy and Breast Conservation Surgery Patients Differ? A 5-Year Comparative Study

AbstractBreast cancer is the most common cancer among females worldwide, of whom more than 80% survive for more than 5  years. Hence, ensuring a good quality of life (QOL) is essential to achieve holistic approach in treating patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted to compare the QOL in women who underwent modified radical mastectomy (MRM) and breast conservation surgery (BCS) for breast cancer in the last 5 years. QOL was evaluated based on the long-term quality of life–breast cancer (LTQOL–BC) questionnaire. A greater percentage of women who underwent MRM complained of difficulty in completing their house work compared with the BCS group (50% compared with 31%). Twenty-five percent (6) of the w omen who had undergone MRM reported feeling of being incomplete as women, along with a lack of femininity. However, more than 80% of the women in both groups said that they felt stronger as survivors and derived strength from their experience. There were significant differences in the quality of lif e of women from both groups in terms of physical function and body image, with the BCS group appearing to have a better QOL.
Source: Indian Journal of Surgical Oncology - Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research