Quality of Life Assessment After Conserving Breast Surgery and Intraoperative Radiotherapy (IORT) in Breast Cancer Patients Using the BREAST-Q Questionnaire

Background: In women undergoing breast surgery, Measurement of Patient Related Outcome Measures (PROMs) is important for improving the process of care, focusing on the patient's perspective. BREASTQ is a validated patient-reported outcome measure used increasingly in aesthetic and recostructive surgery. Only recently a breast conserving therapy module (BREASTQ-BCT) has been available. The aim of this study was to assess patient satisfaction and quality of life using BREAST-Q questionnaire in patients undergoing breast conserving surgery (BCS) plus IORT. Methods: Women undergoing BCS plus IORT for an early-stage breast cancer for at least a year were invited by telephone to partecipate. We scheduled dedicated outpatient visits to our center. The medical interviewer collected medical history information and administered the BREASTQ-BCT in paper format. Data were inserted in a de-identified database. Univariate regression analysis was used to identify clinicopathological variables associated with "satisfaction with breast" domain score. Results: Overall, 38 women completed the questionnaire. The domains of the questionnaire that obtained the lowest scores were ‘satisfaction with IORT information’ and ‘satisfaction with breasts’ (median score 59, IQR 55-73 and 51-69.5). Weight of specimen and vascular invasion were risk factors for lower ‘Satisfaction with breasts’ at univariate analysis. There was a moderate-strong correlation between 'satisfaction with the breasts' and 'psychosocial wellbeing' and 'Sexual wellbeing'. Conclusions: In this retrospective study, without a pre-operative questionnaire, changes in individuals’ satisfaction and quality of life could not be identified. A prospective study comparing BCS plus external RT group and BCS plus IORT group could be informative.