Satisfaction and Impact on Quality of Life of Clinical and Instrumental Surveillance and Prophylactic Surgery in BRCA-mutation Carriers
Abstract
Introduction BRCA 1 and 2 mutation carriers are invited to follow intensive clinical and instrumental surveillance programs or are offered prophylactic breast and ovarian surgery. These recommendations impact many aspects of their life. This study aims to evaluate the satisfaction with surveillance and prophylactic surgery and the impact of these procedures on the quality of life.Patients and methods An anonymous questionnaire was administered to 174 BRCA1-2 mutation carriers.Results A total of 95% of women comply with the scheduled checks every 6 months. Periodic examinations are considered useful for early diagnosis of breast/ovarian cancer by 91.5% of responders. Among those women who received prophylactic breast surgery, 95% believe that this procedure can reduce cancer risk, but only 65% were completely satisfied by the cosmetic outcome. Among women who underwent prophylactic ovarian surgery, 90.5% would choose it again, mainly owing to a lower degree of concern about ovarian cancer risk. The early onset of menopausal symptoms was the most frequently reported side effects, but only 21% of patients use any treatment to relieve them.Conclusion Women who follow a surveillance program show a good level of satisfaction, thanks to the lowering of concerns of cancer risk. The degree of satisfaction about the prophylactic surgery is generally high. Risk-reducing mastectomy is usually well-accepted, despite the fact that cosmetic results are not entirely satisfactory. Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy may impact on quality of life because of the symptoms associated with early surgical menopause, even if it can be treated with hormonal replacement therapies.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Overall, satisfaction with the decision to have undergone preventive surgery is high, although some women express regret about their decision and dissatisfaction with their appearance.
“Overall, satisfaction with the decision to have undergone preventive surgery is high, although some women express regret about their decision and dissatisfaction with their appearance [31, 32].”
From Fear of cancer recurrence in breast cancer survivors carrying a BRCA1 or 2 genetic mutation : a cross-sectional study (2024) · cites this paper as [32]
Cites
Writing Group for the Women's Health Initiative Investigators (2002) · JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association · doi:10.1001/jama.288.3.321 · Cited by 15,889 · see citing works
Antoniou, A., Pharoah, P. D. P., Narod, S., Risch, H. A., Eyfjord, J. E., Hopper, J. L., Loman, N., Olsson, H., Johannsson, O., Borg, Å., et al. (2003) · The American Journal of Human Genetics · doi:10.1086/375033 · Cited by 3,680 · see citing works
Rebbeck, T. R., Friebel, T., Lynch, H. T., Neuhausen, S. L., van ’t Veer, L., Garber, J. E., Evans, G. R., Narod, S. A., Isaacs, C., Matloff, E., et al. (2004) · Journal of Clinical Oncology · doi:10.1200/jco.2004.04.188 · Cited by 1,171 · see citing works
The 2017 hormone therapy position statement of The North American Menopause Society
The North American Menopause Society (2017) · Menopause The Journal of The North American Menopause Society · doi:10.1097/gme.0000000000000921 · Cited by 1,018 · see citing works
2016 IMS Recommendations on women’s midlife health and menopause hormone therapy
Baber, R., Panay, N., & Fenton, A. J. (2016) · Climacteric · doi:10.3109/13697137.2015.1129166 · Cited by 968 · see citing works
Impact of Oophorectomy on Cancer Incidence and Mortality in Women With a BRCA1 or BRCA2 Mutation
Finch, A., Lubiński, J., Møller, P., Singer, C. F., Karlan, B. Y., Senter, L. A., Rosen, B. P., Mæhle, L., Ghadirian, P., Cybulski, C., et al. (2014) · Journal of Clinical Oncology · doi:10.1200/jco.2013.53.2820 · Cited by 665 · see citing works
Finch, A. (2006) · JAMA · doi:10.1001/jama.296.2.185 · Cited by 601 · see citing works
Rebbeck, T. R., Friebel, T. M., Wagner, T. M., Lynch, H. T., Garber, J. E., Daly, M. B., Isaacs, C. J., Olopade, O. I., Neuhausen, S. L., Veer, L. V. ‘., et al. (2005) · Journal of Clinical Oncology · doi:10.1200/jco.2004.00.8151 · Cited by 412 · see citing works
Prophylactic mastectomy for the prevention of breast cancer
Lostumbo, L., Carbine, N. E., & Wallace, J. (2010) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd002748.pub3 · Cited by 402 · see citing works
Nelson, H. D., Huffman, L. H., Fu, R. F., & Harris, E. L. (2005) · Annals of Internal Medicine · doi:10.7326/0003-4819-143-5-200509060-00012 · Cited by 345 · see citing works
Frost, M. H. (2000) · JAMA · doi:10.1001/jama.284.3.319 · Cited by 325 · see citing works
Madalinska, J. B., Hollenstein, J., Bleiker, E. M. A., van Beurden, M., Valdimarsdottir, H. B., Massuger, L. F. A. G., Gaarenstroom, K. N., Mourits, M. J. E., Verheijen, R. H. M., van Dorst, E. B. L., et al. (2005) · Journal of Clinical Oncology · doi:10.1200/jco.2005.02.626 · Cited by 240 · see citing works
Frost, M. H., Slezak, J. M., Tran, N. V., Williams, C. I., Johnson, J. L., Woods, J. E., Petty, P. M., Donohue, J. H., Grant, C. S., Sloan, J. A., et al. (2005) · Journal of Clinical Oncology · doi:10.1200/jco.2005.09.233 · Cited by 197 · see citing works
Armstrong, K., Schwartz, J. S., Randall, T. C., Rubin, S. C., & Weber, B. (2004) · Journal of Clinical Oncology · doi:10.1200/jco.2004.06.090 · Cited by 161 · see citing works
Biglia, N., Peano, E., Sgandurra, P., Moggio, G., Panuccio, E., Migliardi, M., Ravarino, N., Ponzone, R., & Sismondi, P. (2010) · Gynecological Endocrinology · doi:10.3109/09513591003632258 · Cited by 142 · see citing works
Self-citationPsychosocial functioning in women who have undergone bilateral prophylactic mastectomy
Metcalfe, K., Esplen, M., Goel, V., & Narod, S. (2004) · Psycho-Oncology · doi:10.1002/pon.726 · Cited by 136 · see citing works
de González, A. B., Berg, C. D., Visvanathan, K., & Robson, M. E. (2009) · JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute · doi:10.1093/jnci/djn440 · Cited by 123 · see citing works
Prophylactic mastectomy for the prevention of breast cancer
Lostumbo, L., Carbine, N. E., Wallace, J., Ezzo, J., & Dickersin, K. (2004) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd002748.pub2 · Cited by 122 · see citing works
Razdan, S. N., Patel, V., Jewell, S., & McCarthy, C. M. (2015) · Quality of Life Research · doi:10.1007/s11136-015-1181-6 · Cited by 119 · see citing works
Surveillance of women at high risk for hereditary ovarian cancer is inefficient
Oei, A. L. M., Massuger, L. F. A. G., Bulten, J., Ligtenberg, M. J., Hoogerbrugge, N., & de Hullu, J. A. (2006) · British Journal of Cancer · doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6603015 · Cited by 95 · see citing works
Patient regrets after bilateral prophylactic mastectomy
Borgen, P., Hill, A., Tran, K. N., Zee, K. V., Massie, M., Payne, D., & Biggs, C. (1998) · Annals of Surgical Oncology · doi:10.1007/bf02303829 · Cited by 93 · see citing works
What Women Wish They Knew Before Prophylactic Mastectomy
Rolnick, S. J., Altschuler, A., Nekhlyudov, L., Elmore, J. G., Greene, S. M., Harris, E. L., Herrinton, L. J., Barton, M. B., Geiger, A. M., & Fletcher, S. W. (2007) · Cancer Nursing · doi:10.1097/01.ncc.0000281733.40856.c4 · Cited by 70 · see citing works
Bresser, P. J. C., Seynaeve, C., Gool, A. R. V., Niermeijer, M. F., Duivenvoorden, H. J., van Dooren, S., van Geel, A. N., Menke‐Pluijmers, M. B. E., Klijn, J. G. M., & Tibben, A. (2006) · European Journal of Cancer · doi:10.1016/j.ejca.2006.09.009 · Cited by 63 · see citing works
McCarthy, C. M., Hamill, J. B., Kim, H. M., Qi, J., Wilkins, E. G., & Pusic, A. L. (2017) · Annals of Surgical Oncology · doi:10.1245/s10434-017-5915-2 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
Mirtazapine for the Treatment of Hot Flushes in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Prospective Pilot Trial
Biglia, N., Kubatzki, F., Sgandurra, P., Ponzone, R., Marenco, D., Peano, E., & Sismondi, P. (2007) · The Breast Journal · doi:10.1111/j.1524-4741.2007.00470.x · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Self-citationDuloxetine and escitalopram for hot flushes: efficacy and compliance in breast cancer survivors
Biglia, N., Bounous, V. E., Susini, T., Pecchio, S., Sgrò, L. G., Tuninetti, V., & Torta, R. (2016) · European Journal of Cancer Care · doi:10.1111/ecc.12484 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Self-citationTucker, P. E., & Cohen, P. A. (2017) · International Journal of Gynecological Cancer · doi:10.1097/igc.0000000000000943 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Domchek, S. M., Friebel, T. M., Neuhausen, S. L., et al. (2011) · Journal of Clinical Oncology · doi:10.1200/jco.2011.29.15_suppl.1501 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Alexandre, M., Black, J., Whicker, M. E., Minkin, M. J., & Ratner, E. (2017) · Maturitas · doi:10.1016/j.maturitas.2017.06.003 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Risk-Reducing Mastectomy and Breast Reconstruction
Eisemann, B. S., & Spiegel, A. J. (2017) · Clinics in Plastic Surgery · doi:10.1016/j.cps.2017.08.013 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Michel, A., Dorval, M., Chiquette, J., & Savard, J. (2024) · Hereditary Cancer in Clinical Practice · doi:10.1186/s13053-024-00285-5 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
“Overall, satisfaction with the decision to have undergone preventive surgery is high, although some women express regret about their decision and dissatisfaction with their appearance [31, 32].”
Background
- Authors
- D'Alonzo, M., Piva, E., Pecchio, S., Liberale, V., Modaffari, P., Ponzone, R., & Biglia, N.
- Affiliations
- Ospedale Sant'Anna (IT)
- University of Turin (IT)
- Candiolo Cancer Institute (IT)
- Corresponding author
- Biglia, Nicoletta
- Venue
- Clinical Breast Cancer
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2018-12
- Volume
- 18
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- e1361-e1366
- ISSN
- 1526-8209 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2884859964
- Cited by
- 41
- References
- 32
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 3
- FWCI
- 1.99
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Clinical Breast Cancer (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Institutional Research Information System University of Turin (University of Turin) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › BRCA gene mutations in cancer
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Women's cancer prevention and management
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer survivorship and care
- Keywords
- BRCA1 mutation carriers, BRCA2 mutation carriers, prophylactic surgery, prophylactic mastectomy, salpingo-oophorectomy, cancer surveillance, patient satisfaction, quality of life, early menopause, hormone replacement therapy, cosmetic outcome, ovarian cancer risk
- MeSH terms
- Prophylactic Mastectomy, Adult, Aged, Breast Neoplasms, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Heterozygote, Humans, Middle Aged, Mutation, Ovarian Neoplasms, Ovariectomy, Personal Satisfaction, Prognosis, Quality of Life, Patient Satisfaction, BRCA1 Protein, BRCA2 Protein, Young Adult
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
