Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26741657›Full record

ArticleAnnals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England2016

Attitudes to contralateral risk reducing mastectomy among breast and plastic surgeons in England.

N N Basu, S Littlechild, L Barr, G L Ross, D G Evans

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

N N BasuNightingale and Genesis Prevention Centre , Manchester , UK.
S LittlechildNightingale and Genesis Prevention Centre , Manchester , UK.
L BarrNightingale and Genesis Prevention Centre , Manchester , UK.
G L RossUniversity of Manchester , UK.
D G EvansNightingale and Genesis Prevention Centre , Manchester , UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionRates of contralateral risk reducing mastectomy (CRRM) are rising despite a paucity of data to support this practice. Surgeons work as part of the multidisciplinary team (MDT). They may counsel women on these requests without the benefit of established guidelines or agreed protocol. This study assessed the practices and perceptions of breast and plastic surgeons in England on CRRM.

methodsA postal questionnaire was sent to 455 breast and 364 plastic surgeons practising in England. Basic demographics, trends in CRRM, risk assessment, role of the MDT and knowledge base were assessed.

resultsThe response rate among breast surgeons was 48.3% (220/455) and 12.6% (46/364) among plastic surgeons. Nearly half (44%) of the respondents felt there had been an increase in rates of CRRM over the last three years. Seventy-one per cent of those surveyed performed 1-5 CRRMs annually while sixteen per cent did not perform this procedure at all. A third (32%) of respondents correctly quoted their patients an annual risk of 0.5-0.7%. Funding was refused in 4% of cases and 43% of the surgeons felt that in the future they would have to apply to relevant clinical commissioning groups. Over half (58%) of all respondents reported that decisions for CRRM are always discussed in the MDT meeting but 6% stated that these cases are never discussed by the MDT. BRCA mutation was perceived as the main risk factor for contralateral breast cancer by 81% of respondents. Surgeons felt that women requested CRRM mainly to alleviate anxiety. The next most common reasons were carriage of BRCA mutation and a desire to have reconstructions match.

conclusionsA wide variation of surgical practices and perceptions exist in assessing women for CRRM. Guidelines to standardise practices are required.

Indexed as

Attitude of Health PersonnelBreast NeoplasmsAdultBreastCross-Sectional StudiesEnglandFemaleHumansMaleMastectomyMiddle AgedRisk AssessmentRisk Reduction BehaviorSurgeonsContralateral breast cancerMultidisciplinary teamRisk reducing mastectomy

Identifiers

PMID26741657
PMCPMC5210481

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.