How well do patients undergoing mastectomy (with or without immediate breast reconstruction) predict their future well-being? Peter Ubel, MD, Professor of Medicine in Duke GIM, was the senior author of an online first paper published in JAMA Surgery entitled "Accuracy of Predictions of Patients with Breast Cancer of Future Well-being After Immediate Breast Reconstruction".
The authors shared results from their cohort study of 96 patients; they found that those undergoing mastectomy without reconstruction underestimated their future quality of life and satisfaction with their clothed breasts, and those undergoing mastectomy with reconstruction overestimated their satisfaction with their unclothed breasts, unclothed sexual attractiveness, and clothed sexual attractiveness.
What does this mean?
Patients make incorrect predictions about their future well-being after mastectomy (with or without reconstruction) and would benefit from decision support that specifically addresses expectations of future well-being.
Citation:
Lee CN, Pignone MP, Deal AM, Blizard, L, Hunt, C, Huh, R, Liu, YJ, Ubel, PA. Accuracy of Predictions of Patients With Breast Cancer of Future Well-being After Immediate Breast Reconstruction. JAMA Surg. 2018; PMID: 29417143 [Link]