Patient evaluation of cosmetic outcome after conserving surgery for treatment of primary breast cancer

Aims: To investigate patient self-assessment of and satisfaction with cosme tic outcome following breast-conserving treatment. Methods: A total of 254 patients with primary breast cancer who had been tr eated by wide local excision (WLE) were assessed objectively for cosmesis., Patients then self-rated their own cosmetic outcome and satisfaction visa q uestionnaire. Results: Seventy-two per cent of the patients stated that there was little or no difference between the treated and untreated breast. Patient satisfac tion was high with 90.5%;, being 'moderately' or 'very satisfied' with thei r cosmetic result. There were very good correlations between the objective assessment and the patient self-assessment of the cosmetic result (chi(2) = 77.98; P < 0.001) and between the patient satisfaction and the patient self-assessment (chi(2 ) = 122.65; P < 0.001) Conclusion: This study shows very good cosmetic outcome with high patient s atisfaction. These cosmetic results combined with a low local recurrence ra te following wide local excision validate the operative method used.