ArticleBMC cancer2023
How breast cancer therapies impact body image - real-world data from a prospective cohort study collecting patient-reported outcomes.
Article in BMC cancer, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 22 citations in OpenAlex.
- Impact of breast cancer on body image: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Archives of women's mental health · 2026Pooled it
- Body Image Concerns and Associated Factors up to Five Years After Cancer in Young Adulthood: A Swedish Longitudinal Population-Based Study.Psycho-oncology · 2026Article
- Where do breast cancer patients after curative-intent surgery stand in their Health-related Quality of Life (Hr-QoL) outcomes compared with health institution-based normal clients? A comparative cross-sectional study.BMC women's health · 2025Article
- The emotions experienced by women undergoing mastectomy over the course of the disease and treatment: a qualitative study.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025Article
- Body image concerns among women diagnosed with breast cancer in a South Asian setting: a phenomenology approach.BMC cancer · 2025Article
- The Effect of Treatment With Hyaluronic Acid Dermal Fillers on Skin Changes and Quality of Life in Oncology Patients.Journal of cosmetic dermatology · 2025Article
- Predicting quality of life: The influence of body image and coping strategies in women with reproductive cancer.Journal of education and health promotion · 2025Article
- Breast Reconstruction in Patients with Prior Breast Augmentation: Searching for the Optimal Reconstructive Option.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2024Article
- Beyond Mastectomy: The Incidence of Subsequent Aesthetic Procedures after Mastectomy with and without Breast Reconstruction.Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open · 2024Article
- Long-term quality of life after breast surgery-are breast conserving surgery and mastectomy comparable?Gland surgery · 2024Article
- Relationships between body image, dyadic coping and post-traumatic growth in breast cancer patients: a cross-sectional study.Frontiers in psychology · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundIn breast cancer patients body image (BI) is a crucial aspect of quality of life (QoL). This study examined the postoperative impact of different surgical approaches on long-term BI analyzing real-world data to guide pre- and postoperative patient care and preserve QoL.
methodsEORTC QLQ-BR23 BI scores were collected electronically in 325 breast cancer patients within routine clinical care for a duration of 41.5 months (11/17/2016 - 4/30/2020) at predefined time points preoperatively and repeatedly up to two years after breast-conserving surgery (BCS) (n = 212), mastectomy alone (M) (n = 27) or mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction (MIBR) (n = 86). Higher scores indicated better BI. A linear mixed regression model was used to analyze the impact of BCS, M and MIBR, as well as non-surgical therapies on BI at treatment initiation and over time.
resultsBI scores deteriorated by 5 points (95%-confidence interval (CI) -8.94 to -1.57, p≈0.005) immediately after BCS, by 7 points (95%-CI -12.13 to -1.80, p≈0.008) after MIBR and by 19 points (95%-CI -27.34 to -10.34, p < 0.001) after M. The change over time after BCS (+ 0.10 points per week, 95%-CI -0.17 to 0.38), MIBR (-0.07 points per week, 95%-CI -0.35 to 0.20) and M (+ 0.14 points per week, 95%-CI -0.19 to 0.48) were not statistically significant (each p > 0.05). At treatment initiation chemotherapy was associated with a 22-point decline (95%-CI -25.39 to -17.87, p < 0.001) in BI score, while radiotherapy was associated with a 5-point increase (95%-CI 1.74 to 9.02, p≈0.004). However, over time chemotherapy was associated with a score recovery (+ 0.28 points per week, 95%-CI 0.19 to 0.37, p < 0.001), whereas for radiotherapy a trend towards BI deterioration was observed (-0.11 points per week, 95%-CI -0.23 to 0.02, p≈0.101).
conclusionsBreast cancer surgery negatively affects BI. BCS and MIBR presumably harm BI less than M in the early postoperative period. Our data suggests BI to be deteriorating in the long term after MIBR while improving after BCS or M. Radiotherapy seems to have an additional negative long-term impact on BI. These findings should be confirmed in further studies to enable evidence-based patient information as part of preoperative shared decision-making and postoperative patient care.
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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.