Psychological, sociodemographic, and clinicopathological predictors of breast cancer patients’ decision to undergo breast reconstruction after mastectomy

OBJECTIVES: To examine the influence of socioeconomic factors, anxiety, depression, and personality traits on the decision to undergo breast reconstruction (BR) post mastectomy. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, adult female breast cancer (BC) patients who had undergone a mastectomy between January 2017 and 2019 were interviewed using a 46-item questionnaire at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire was divided into 5 sections: demographic data, personality traits, the Narcissism Index (NI), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). RESULTS: The sample (N=196; mean age: 48.44 [± 9.87] years, opted for BR: 60.2%, with chronic diseases: 36.7%, Saudi nationals: 43.9%) obtained means of 4.17 (± 2.81) on NI score, 7.72 (± 4.88) on anxiety score, and 5.78 (± 4.65) on depression score. Group differences in age, depression, lymph node involvement, and 2 personality traits emerged. CONCLUSION: Age and depression significantly influenced the decision to undergo BR. Women who had opted for BR tended to be younger, be less depressed, and be characterized by lesser nodal involvement. Personality traits also influenced the decision to undergo BR. Diagnosing and treating depressed patients is an important component. A patient’s age should not deter physicians from counselling them about BR.