Postoperative Sense of Well-Being and Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Patients Do not Depend on Type of Primary Surgery

Vol. 31, No. 3, 2008

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Original Article · Originalarbeit

Postoperative Sense of Well-Being and Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Patients Do not Depend on Type of Primary Surgery
Mathias Warm^a, Caroline Gatermann^a, Ronald Kates^b, Peter Mallmann^a, Stefan Paepke^b, Nadia Harbeck^b, Anke Thomas^c

^a Department of Senology, University of Cologne,
^bDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Technical University of Munich,
^c Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medicine Berlin, Charité, Germany

Address of Corresponding Author

Onkologie 2008;31:99-104 (DOI: 10.1159/000113540)

Key Words

Breast cancer
Quality of life
SF-12
MDBF
Mastectomy
Breast conserving surgery

Summary

Background: In primary breast cancer, breast conserving surgery and mastectomy are equal options with regard to patient survival. We therefore investigated whether and how the type of surgery has impact on the patients' quality of life (QoL) in order to support individualized surgical concepts in treatment of breast cancer. 3 types of surgery are compared: breast-conserving surgery; modified radical mastectomy with or without primary reconstruction. Patients and Methods: 91 out of 114 consecutive patients diagnosed with histologically confirmed primary breast cancer agreed to answer the QoL questionnaires within the first 2 years of their follow-up care. 2 recognized questionnaires on sense of well-being and QoL were used: Multidimensional Mood Questionnaire and QoL SF-12. Results: No significant correlation between sense of well-being and type of operation or tumor stage was found. With regard to health-related QoL, we saw no significant correlation with type of surgery. However, low tumor stage was significantly correlated with better physical (p = 0.012) but not psychological well-being. Conclusion: Within the first 2 years after primary surgery for breast cancer, we did not find significant differences in sense of well-being or QoL dependent on type of surgery.

Author Contacts

Dr. med. Mathias Warm Universitäts-Frauenklinik zu Köln Abteilung Senologie Kerpener Stra beta e 62, 50924 Köln, Germany Tel. +49 221 478-86545, Fax -86546 E-mail mathias.warm@uk-koeln.de

Article Information

Published online: February 8, 2008
Number of Print Pages : 6
Number of Figures : 2, Number of Tables : 3, Number of References : 40

Medline Abstract (ID 18322412)

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