@entity158 after quadrantectomy and radiotherapy for XXXX : incidence, characteristics and influence on quality of life. Results from a retrospective study.

@entity1 @entity86 @entity0 @entity158
PURPOSE: Conservative breast surgery (CBS) is viewed as a surgical technique able to improve the psychophysical outcome of @entity1 who underwent surgery for @entity0 ( @entity0 ). CBS has clearly improved the impact of local treatment on postoperative body image adjustment, but the effect on @entity1 ' quality of life (QL) is similar to that observed after mastectomy. This insufficient adjustment may be related to the fact that sensorial alterations, mainly @entity158 , may produce negative effects on @entity1 ' QL. This retrospective study, based on self-completed questionnaires, reports the @entity1 ' descriptions of @entity158 and its relationships with QL adjustment after quadrantectomy and radiotherapy for @entity0 . @entity1 AND METHODS: We mailed a questionnaire to a consecutive series of 481 @entity1 treated with CBS and radiotherapy from March 1995 to March 1998. The questionnaire, listing 129 items, comprised: (1) a @entity158 assessment module with the short form of the McGill @entity158 Questionnaire exploring the characteristics and the description of the @entity158 ; (2) a QL questionnaire including four subscales (physical well-being, psychological well-being, physical autonomy, and relationships). RESULTS: Three hundred and forty-eight @entity1 (72%) completed the questionnaire, but 24 were excluded from the analysis due to absence of axillary dissection. One hundred and forty-one @entity1 reported @entity158 as a consequence of treatment. It generally started within 3 months after the completion of therapy, was localized in the axillary region and was intermittent. The @entity158 was mainly described as aching (59%), tender (51%) and cramping (43%). Compared to the @entity1 who did not experience @entity158 , those who suffered from @entity158 had significantly worse scores in physical (p < 0.0001), psychological (p < 0.0001), autonomy (p < 0.05), and relational subscales (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Our data support the hypothesis that @entity158 is a frequent sequela of CBS and radiotherapy, and that such symptoms can cause @entity86 , thus limiting @entity1 adaptation and reducing the beneficial effect of CBS on body image.
