COLUMBUS – Researchers at OSU say more than half of breast cancer patients undergoing mastectomy lack the necessary medical knowledge to make the best-informed decision about reconstructive surgery, suggesting a trend toward overtreatment.
According to a new study conducted by researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute and published online in the medical journal JAMA Surgery May 3, only 43 percent of the patients in the study demonstrated an understanding of at least half of the important facts about reconstruction and made a choice that was consistent with their preferences, and only 14 percent of patients demonstrated strong knowledge of the risk of surgical complications.
“As breast cancer providers, we need to talk about the pros and cons of surgery to help women make treatment choices,” says Dr. Clara Lee, principal investigator of the study and a breast reconstructive surgeon at The OSUCCC – James.
Lee and the team of researchers say women need to share decision-making with physicians in order make decisions based on a full understanding of treatment choices and associated risks while considering their own personal goals for surgery.
“Shared decision-making between the surgeon and patient would be particularly useful for this decision. We need to connect patients with decision aids to help them really think through what is most important to them,” Lee said.
Researchers measured participants’ medical knowledge about the effects of surgery on appearance and risks associated with mastectomy and mastectomy with reconstruction. They also measured what mattered most to patients, such as breast appearance and shape following treatment, length of recovery time and risk for complications.