Decision-Making Experience Related to Mastectomy Among Women With Breast Cancer: An Integrative Review

The effectiveness of interventions to reduce cancer-related stigma: An integrative review

AIMS

The clinical significance of cancer-related stigma on patients' well-being has been widely established. Stigma can be perceived and internalised by cancer patients or implemented by the general population and healthcare workers. Various interventions have been carried out to reduce cancer-related stigma, but their effectiveness is not well-understood. This review aims to synthesise evidence on the effectiveness of interventions to reduce cancer-related stigma.

DESIGN

An integrative review.

METHODS

This integrative review combined both qualitative and quantitative studies and followed five steps to identify problems, search for the literature, appraise the literature quality, analyse data, and present data. Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (version 2018) was applied to evaluate the quality of the included studies.

DATA SOURCES

Databases included Web of Science, MEDLINE, SpringerLink, Wiley Online Journals, Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect, OVID, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (from the inception of each database to 30 April 2021).

RESULTS

Eighteen quantitative, six qualitative, and five mixed-methods studies were included in this review. Cultural factors should be considered when conducting interventions to reduce cancer-related stigma. For cancer patients, multi-component interventions have demonstrated a positive effect on their perceived stigma. For general population, interactive interventions show promise to reduce their implemented stigma towards cancer patients. For healthcare workers, there is a paucity of studies to reduce their implemented stigma. Existing studies reported inconclusive evidence, partially due to the lack of a robust study design with an adequate sample size.

CONCLUSIONS

Multi-component and interactive interventions show promise to relieve cancer-related stigma. More methodologically robust studies should be conducted in different cultures to elucidate the most appropriate interventions for different populations to reduce cancer-related stigma.

IMPLICATION FOR THE PROFESSION AND PATIENT CARE

These findings will facilitate healthcare workers to design and implement interventions to reduce cancer-related stigma, thus improving the quality of life for cancer patients.

PATIENT AND PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

No patient and public contribution.

Decision-making experiences related to mastectomy: A descriptive qualitative study

AIM

To obtain an in-depth understanding of women's decision-making experiences related to mastectomy.

DESIGN

A descriptive qualitative interview study.

METHODS

Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted face-to-face with 27 Chinese women with breast cancer who underwent mastectomy at two tertiary hospitals in mainland China between September 2020 and December 2021 after obtaining the appropriate ethical approvals. Interviews were conducted in Mandarin. Data were analysed using inductive content analysis.

RESULTS

Mean age of participants was 48 years (range 31-70). Most participants had low education, low monthly family income, had a partner and health insurance, had been diagnosed with early breast cancer, and had not undergone reconstructive surgery. Six categories related to decision-making experiences emerged: (1) Emotions affecting decision-making, (2) Information seeking for decision-making, (3) Beliefs about mastectomy and the breast, (4) Participation in decision-making, (5) People who influence decision-making, and (6) Post-decision reflection. Participants did not mention the role of nurses in their decision-making process for mastectomy.

CONCLUSIONS

This study adds valuable insights into the limited evidence on women's experience with decision-making about mastectomy from a Chinese perspective, which is important given the continuing high prevalence of mastectomy in many regions. Future studies from other countries and ethnic groups are recommended to gain diverse knowledge.

IMPACT

The findings of this study are useful for nurses and other healthcare professionals in the multidisciplinary team to better support women with breast cancer in their decision-making process regarding mastectomy. The findings could inform future interventions to support treatment decision-making and may be relevant to women living in similar socio-medical contexts to those in mainland China.

REPORTING METHOD

The study was reported following the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

No patient or public contribution.

Behaviour, barriers and facilitators of shared decision making in breast cancer surgical treatment: A qualitative systematic review using a 'Best Fit' framework approach

BACKGROUND

Due to the diversity and high sensitivity of the treatment, there were difficulties and uncertainties in the breast cancer surgical decision-making process. We aimed to describe the patient's decision-making behaviour and shared decision-making (SDM)-related barriers and facilitators in breast cancer surgical treatment.

METHODS

We searched eight databases for qualitative studies and mixed-method studies about breast cancer patients' surgical decision-making process from inception to March 2021. The quality of the studies was critically appraised by two researchers independently. We used a 'best fit framework approach' to analyze and synthesize the evidence.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight qualitative studies and three mixed-method studies were included in this study. Four themes and 10 subthemes were extracted: (a) struggling with various considerations, (b) actual decision-making behaviours, (c) SDM not routinely implemented and (d) multiple facilitators and barriers to SDM.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients had various considerations of breast surgery and SDM was not routinely implemented. There was a discrepancy between information exchange behaviours, value clarification, decision support utilization and SDM due to cognitive and behavioural biases. When individuals made surgical decisions, their behaviours were affected by individual-level and system-level factors. Therefore, healthcare providers and other stakeholders should constantly improve communication skills and collaboration, and emphasize the importance of decision support, so as to embed SDM into routine practice.

PATIENT AND PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

This systematic review was conducted as part of a wider research entitled: Breast cancer patients' actual participation roles in surgical decision making: a mixed method research. The results of this project helped us to better analyze and generalize patients' views.

Decision-making process for breast-conserving therapy from the perspective of women with breast cancer: A grounded theory study

PURPOSE

To explore the decision-making and coping processes of women with newly diagnosed breast cancer receiving breast-conserving therapy.

METHODS

The grounded theory methodology approach was employed in this study. Purposive and theoretical sampling methods were used to enroll 27 women with stage I-III breast cancer. Individual interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide, and data were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding.

RESULTS

The core category is "limitations of boundaries," which includes three categories: feminine body boundary, emotional boundary, and knowledge boundary. Clusters, conflicts, and changeability were among the unique contextual conditions. The decision-making process became more challenging because of the differences between the levels of knowledge of physicians and patients receiving treatment information. Women's actions and interactions included information seeking, controlling, negotiating, and accepting nondecision-making support. The consequences of decisions included redecision and reoperation, and most women did not regret receiving breast-conserving therapy.

CONCLUSION

Even after choosing breast-conserving therapy, some women may experience changes in treatment procedures. Medical professionals should identify women's challenges and limitations during their decision-making process, explain the benefits and drawbacks of different surgical modalities, address concerns about the outcome of breast-conserving surgery, and provide intellectual and emotional support for decision-making.

"My body, my choice": A qualitative study of women's mastectomy with flat closure experiences

This qualitative study aimed to describe and explore the pre and post-mastectomy experiences of women choosing flat closure after a breast cancer diagnosis. Aesthetic flat closure creates a flat contoured chest wall after a mastectomy. There is limited research on women's flat closure experiences. To fill this gap, we interviewed 19 women (Mage = 53, range 31-72) with breast cancer who underwent a bilateral mastectomy with flat closure, examining decision-making, mirror-viewing, and flat closure experiences. Using a hermeneutic phenomenological design, we generated seven themes. Broadly, women choosing flat closure experienced pressure from their clinicians to undergo breast reconstruction. We found flat closure information to be consistently lacking. Mirror-viewing experiences of women obtaining suboptimal flat closure outcomes led to shattered expectations, mirror avoidance, psychological distress, and body image disturbances. Women negotiated their new reality by discovering ways to feel comfortable with their flat bodies. Regardless of surgical outcome, decision satisfaction was high. These findings illustrate the importance of bodily autonomy and supportive healthcare environments for women making flat closure decisions. Providing comprehensive information on all surgical options and addressing post-operative expectations can improve women's decision-making and mirror-viewing experiences and assist women in adapting to their new body image.

Predictors of surgery choices in women with early-stage breast cancer in China: a retrospective study

BACKGROUND

The breast-conserving surgery and reconstruction rate in China is relatively low when compared with those in Western countries. Moreover, predictors of surgical choices for women with breast cancer in China have not yet been explored. This study aims to explore differences in the surgical choices of women with different demographic and clinical characteristics and the predictors that influence surgical choices of women with early-stage breast cancer.

METHODS

This retrospective study included women with early-stage (0-II) breast cancer who underwent surgeries at one of two Xiamen University-affiliated hospitals between 2009 and 2017. Using medical records, eleven variables were collected: the woman's age, year of diagnosis, hospital, marital status, payment method, cancer stage, presence of positive axillary lymph node, histology, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and the type(s) of surgery they chose. Binary logistic regression was used to analyse predictors of surgical choice.

RESULTS

A total of 1,787 cases were included in this study. Of the total number of women with breast cancer, 61.3% underwent mastectomy without breast reconstruction, 26.4% underwent mastectomy with breast reconstruction, and the remaining 12.2% chose breast-conserving surgery. Women with different demographic and clinical characteristics underwent different types of surgery. Cancer stage, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and the choice of hospital were found to be predictors of breast-conserving surgery. Meanwhile, age, year of diagnosis, payment method, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and the choice of hospital were found to be predictors of reconstruction after mastectomy in women with early-stage breast cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

In China, surgical choices for women with breast cancer have diversified. Healthcare workers should understand the surgical preferences of women of different ages. For early detection of breast cancer, knowledge of breast self-examination and breast cancer screening should be provided. Adequate information about the safety of reconstruction and advocacy for medical insurance coverage of reconstruction should be offer. Breast surgeons need specialised training and standardising protocols towards different types of breast surgery. These actions will help women make better, well-informed decisions about their breast surgeries.

Decision regret regarding treatments among women with early-stage breast cancer: a systematic review protocol

INTRODUCTION

Women with early-stage breast cancer (EBC) are commonly required to make treatment decisions. Decision regret regarding treatments is an adverse outcome that negatively affects women's psychological well-being and quality of life. A systematic review will be conducted to synthesise evidence about decision regret among women regarding treatments for EBC. The study will focus on levels of decision regret, what is regretted, and the factors associated with decision regret.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

A systematic review will be conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols 2015 checklist. Electronic databases, including CINAHL Complete, Embase, PubMed, Medline and Web of Science, will be searched for relevant articles published from 2000 to 2021. The reference lists of eligible studies will also be manually searched. All types of quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods studies that report on decision regret regarding treatments among women with EBC will be included. The primary outcome of this review will be women's levels of decision regret regarding breast cancer treatments. The secondary outcomes will include the content of their regrets, and the factors contributing to decision regret. The methodological quality of the studies will be assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute appraisal tools. Meta-analysis and thematic synthesis approaches will be used to synthesise quantitative and qualitative data, respectively. A convergent parallel approach will be used to integrate quantitative and qualitative findings.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval is not required for this systematic review. The findings of this work will be disseminated at international conferences and peer-reviewed journals. The findings of this systematic review will inform the development of decision interventions to improve the decision outcomes of breast cancer treatments.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42021260041.