Short summary

A cohort study on the patient-reported outcome (PRO) in breast cancer patients treated with either oncoplastic breast surgery or conventional breast conserving surgery. The study is designed as a survey using the Breast-Q module for breast conserving surgery, postoperative scales. 

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Rationale

Oncoplastic breast surgery was introduced in the last decade in Denmark as a supplemental technique to conventional breast conserving surgery in the surgical treatment of breast cancer.  

By oncoplastic breast cancer surgery an immediate partial reconstruction of the breast is done in the same surgical procedure as the tumour excision. Oncoplastic breast surgery involves surgical techniques to replace the excised tumour by transfer of breast tissue within the breast (deplacement) or by use of tissue transferred from outside the breast i.e. the thoracic wall (replacement) to reshape the breast in order to obtain a normal contour of the breast. In selected cases even the contralateral breast is symmetrized by a mastopexi or a reduction plasty procedure.

In clinical practice 60 to 70 % of breast cancer patients are today treated with breast conserving surgery of which about 30% are expected to have an unacceptable functional and aesthetic result of surgery and adjuvant radiation therapy. The aim of oncoplastic breast surgery is to improve the outcome with regard to the functional and aesthetic results, without compromising the oncological outcome. Thus oncoplastic breast surgery might even improve the quality of life of breast cancer patients postoperatively.

It is well documented that conventional breast conserving surgery is oncological equally safe as mastectomy, and an increasingly numbers of studies show similarly oncological results for oncoplastic breast surgery.

However, there is only very few studies of patient-reported outcome and quality of life after oncoplastic and conventional breast cancer conserving surgery focusing on the possible advantages of oncoplastic breast surgery.

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Description of the cohort

The study population includes patients operated with oncoplastic technique in the period 2008-2013 in the Region of Southern Denmark (220 patients) and the control population includes patients operated with conventional breast conserving technique in the Region of Northern Denmark (1500 patients).

Data and biological material

Data on patient-reported outcome are collected though a survey using the Breast-Q module for breast conserving surgery, postoperative scales. Patients will fill out the Breast-Q questionnaire via RED-Cap.

Patients are identified through The Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group (DBCG) register, The CPR-register and Cause of Death Register (DAR). 

Collaborating researchers and departments

Department of Surgery, Section of Plastic Surgery, Hospital of Southwest Jutland and Department of Clinical Sciences in Malmö, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

• Consultant Michæl Rose

Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö and Department of Clinical Sciences in Malmö, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

• Professor Henry Svensson
• Associate Professor Jonas Manjer

Department of Clinical Sciences in Malmö, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

• Anita Ringberg