Abstract
Breast cancer requires complex clinical care. Well-being is an intricate concept, encompassing physical, functional, emotional, and social aspects. Background: This study aims to evaluate the relationship between the type of surgery our patients underwent and the timing of the reconstructive surgery with physical, emotional, social, and functional well-being. Furthermore, through our research we tried to identify potential mental health comorbidities in patients with breast cancer, clinical symptoms, and well-being in women with breast cancer, depending on the type of required surgery. Methods: The study included 69 women diagnosed with breast cancer, in stages I to III, divided in two groups: I—patients with oncoplastic breast-conserving surgery and contralateral correction surgery, for symmetry reasons; II—patients who underwent modified radical mastectomy and late breast reconstruction with contralateral symmetrisation. We evaluated socio-demographic aspects, alongside depression, anxiety, stress (DASS 21), and well-being (FACT-B). Data were statistically processed; statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: Clinical elements of depression, anxiety, and stress were noted in both groups, without statistical significance (p > 0.05). Significant differences were found regarding psycho-emotional (p = 0.035) and functional well-being (p = 0.001), with higher scores for group I. The chi-square test indicated statistically significant differences (at p < 0.01) between the groups, regarding the frequency of scores on items B4 and B9 (FACT-B items, related to feminine aesthetics and desirability), with evidently higher scores in group I than in group II. Conclusions: The state of well-being, as well as the items related to femininity and sexuality had higher values in the group of women treated by oncoplastic conservative surgery compared to late reconstruction after modified radical mastectomy.
Highlights
Quality care for a person with breast cancer includes dignity, respect, support, and kindness, involving the somatic impact of the disease, and the social, emotional, and intimate well-being
Study group: This study is a cross-sectional analysis evaluating a small group of women diagnosed with breast cancer, who underwent surgical treatment by either conservative oncoplastic breast-conserving surgery, or modified radical mastectomy followed by late reconstruction, from July to December 2019 in the Plastic Surgery Department of the
The study included a total of 69 women, divided into two groups: Group I, 34 women, who underwent oncoplastic breast-conserving surgery and contralateral symmetrization; and group II—35 women—who underwent a modified radical mastectomy, followed by delayed reconstruction and symmetrization
Summary
Quality care for a person with breast cancer includes dignity, respect, support, and kindness, involving the somatic impact of the disease, and the social, emotional, and intimate well-being. Maintaining one’s dignity, with respect for individual needs and preferences, is one of the goals we take into account when deciding upon the most appropriate therapeutic plan It can be a lengthy process, throughout disease evolution, until the person with breast cancer regains their purpose and life dignity. Well-being generally includes global judgments on life satisfaction, as well as feelings, ranging from depression to joy, and people’s beliefs, in terms of their lives, their own evaluation of the quality of their relationships, emotions, or their ability to adapt. It is for these reasons that subjective and psychological well-being, as well as quality of life, may sometimes be equivalent. According to the World Health Organization, subjective well-being (correlated with mental health) consists of three aspects: Emotional, psychological, and social
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