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BACKGROUND: The Cures Act mandated immediately released health information. In this study, we investigated patient comprehension of mammography reports and the utility of online resources to aid report interpretation. METHODS: Patients who received a normal mammogram from February to April 2022 were invited to complete semi-structured interviews paired with health literacy questionnaires to assess patient's report comprehension before and after internet search. RESULTS: Thirteen selected patients via purposeful sampling completed interviews. Most patients described their initial understanding of the mammography report as "good" and improved to between "good" and "very good" after an internet search. Patients suggested "a little column on the side" for medical terminology, "an extra prompt" for making an appointment, or a recommendation for "good sites" to improve mammography reports. CONCLUSION: Patients varied in their ability to independently interpret medical reports and seek additional resources. While online resources marginally improved patient understanding, actionable and clear resources are needed.
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BACKGROUND: It is unclear how patient-reported outcomes (PROs) change longitudinally after breast cancer surgery. We sought to compare trends in PROs among patients who underwent lumpectomy versus mastectomy over the first year after surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Newly diagnosed stage 0-III female patients with breast cancer who underwent lumpectomy or mastectomy at an academic breast center between June 2019 and March 2023 were invited to participate in a longitudinal PRO study. Enrolled patients received the BREAST-Q™ module, a validated tool measuring domains, such as satisfaction with breasts, psychosocial well-being, physical well-being, and sexual well-being. Scores for each domain were compared between the lumpectomy and mastectomy groups over the first year after surgery. Linear mixed models were used to estimate the change in PRO scores over time. RESULTS: The cohort included 203 who underwent lumpectomy and 144 who underwent mastectomy. Patients who underwent lumpectomy were older, more likely to receive adjuvant radiation and endocrine therapy, and less likely to receive adjuvant chemotherapy. Patients who underwent lumpectomy demonstrated greater increases in scores over time for satisfaction with breasts, psychosocial well-being, and sexual well-being compared with patients who underwent mastectomy, after adjusting for the abovementioned covariates and receipt of reconstruction. The lumpectomy group had a larger decline in physical well-being over time compared with the mastectomy group. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who underwent lumpectomy demonstrated greater satisfaction with their breasts, psychosocial well-being, and sexual well-being but worse physical well-being over the first year after surgery compared with patients who underwent mastectomy. These results may help inform early-stage breast cancer patients making decisions about their surgical care.
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INTRODUCTION: As outcomes for breast cancer patients improve, addressing the side effects and distress of treatment can optimize survivorship. Although distress in breast cancer is well known in literature, there is a lack of information on how these concerns change through the phases of the cancer care continuum. Therefore, this study investigates the longitudinal trajectory of worry in patients with nonmetastatic breast cancer. METHODS: Female patients with newly diagnosed stage I-III breast cancer comprised a mixed-methods, longitudinal study at a cancer center from June 2019 to June 2023. Patients completed an open-ended survey regarding their top three concerns. Responses were obtained before surgery and two weeks, three, six, nine months, and one year postoperatively. Responses were qualitatively coded and analyzed to determine themes of cancer-related distress. RESULTS: Participants (n = 262) were aged an average 57.53 y (±12.54), 65.8% had stage I disease at diagnosis, and 91.1% were White. Responses revealed that patients' top three sources of concerns varied by treatment phase. Overall, patients were worried about their cancer diagnosis and the risk of recurrence. Preoperatively, patients were worried about treatment timeline, while postoperative concerns transitioned to physical appearance and surgical side effects. CONCLUSIONS: Breast cancer patients consistently reported worries about cancer diagnosis, recurrence, and metastasis as well as the side effects and fear of treatments. However, patient worry appeared to be intrinsically linked with their treatment phase. Therefore, support and interventions should be catered to reflect the changing patterns of patients' sources of distress to optimize breast cancer patients' quality of life.