SynthesisQuality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation2017
Making decisions about breast reconstruction: A systematic review of patient-reported factors influencing choice.
Synthesis in Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
21 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- The Cultural and Social Determinants of Breast Reconstruction: A Systematic Review.Aesthetic plastic surgery · 2026Pooled it
- Assessing the Content and Effect of Web-Based Decision Aids for Postmastectomy Breast Reconstruction: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Journal of medical Internet research · 2024Pooled it
- Women's expectations of breast reconstruction following mastectomy for breast cancer: a systematic review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2017Pooled it
- Long-Term Effectiveness of a Decision Support App (Pink Journey) for Women Considering Breast Reconstruction Surgery: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2021Trial
- Awareness, Attitudes, and Barriers Toward Breast Symmetry Procedures Among Women After Breast Reconstruction: A Cross-Sectional Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Current Status and Influencing Factors of Decisional Conflict in Lung Cancer Patients Receiving Systemic Therapy: A Cross-Sectional Analysis.Thoracic cancer · 2025Article
- Advantages of immediate implant-based breast reconstruction over delayed breast reconstruction in women treated with postmastectomy radiotherapy for breast cancer.Breast cancer research and treatment · 2025Article
- Objective and Subjective Factors Influencing Breast Reconstruction Decision-Making After Breast Cancer Surgery: A Systematic Review.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- The Effects of Radiotherapy on the Sequence and Eligibility of Breast Reconstruction: Current Evidence and Controversy.Cancers · 2024Review
- Preoperative Expectations of Women Undergoing Breast Reconstruction Surgery.Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open · 2024Article
- Information needs in breast reconstruction after mastectomy: a qualitative analysis of free-text responses from 2077 women.Breast cancer research and treatment · 2024Article
- What affects women's decision-making on breast reconstruction after mastectomy for breast cancer?Breast cancer (Tokyo, Japan) · 2023Article
- Surgery decision conflict and its related factors among newly diagnosed early breast cancer patients in China: A cross-sectional study.Nursing open · 2021Article
- Factors associated with the desire to undergo post-mastectomy breast reconstruction in a Mexican breast cancer center.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2021Article
- Article
- Development and Usability Testing of a Decision Support App for Women Considering Breast Reconstruction Surgery.Journal of cancer education : the official journal of the American Association for Cancer Education · 2021Article
- Examining the Post-operative Well-Being of Women Who Underwent Mammoplasty: A Cross-Sectional Study.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2021Article
- Patterns of immediate breast reconstruction in New South Wales, Australia: a population-based study.ANZ journal of surgery · 2019Article
- The influence of partner involvement in the decision-making process on body image and decision regret among women receiving breast reconstruction.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2019Article
- Observational
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeMany studies have explored women's reasons for choosing or declining a particular type of breast reconstruction (BR) following mastectomy for breast cancer. This systematic review synthesises women's reasons for choosing a range of BR options, including no BR, in different settings and across time.
methodsThirteen databases were systematically searched, with 30 studies (4269 participants), meeting the selection criteria. Information on study aim and time frame, participation rate, design/methods, limitations/bias, reasons and conclusions, as well as participant clinical and demographic information, was reported. An overall quality score was generated for each study. Reasons were grouped into eight domains.
resultsWhile study methodology and results were heterogeneous, all reported reasons were covered by the eight domains: Feeling/looking normal; Feeling/looking good; Being practical; Influence of others; Relationship expectations; Fear; Timing; and Unnecessary. We found a strong consistency in reasons across studies, ranging from 52% of relevant publications citing relationship expectations as a reason for choosing BR, up to 91% citing fear as a reason for delaying or declining BR. Major thematic findings were a lack of adequate information about BR, lack of genuine choice for women and additional access limitations due to health system barriers.
conclusionsUnderstanding women's reasons for wanting or not wanting BR can assist clinicians to help women make choices most aligned with their individual values and needs. Our thematic findings have equity implications and illustrate the need for surgeons to discuss all clinically appropriate BR options with mastectomy patients, even if some options are not available locally.
Indexed as
Identifiers
28397191What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.