Surgeons’ Influence On The Choice Of Undergoing Breast Conserving Therapy Versus Mastectomy

Objective Breast conserving surgery(BCS) has become a standard therapy for early-stage breast cancer patients. This study investigated surgeons’"propensity" of treatments for early-stage breast cancer and described factors associated with propensity. Methods A cross-sectional survey of a sample of surgeons who are accredited to do breast surgeries was investigated with self-made questionnaires. Multiple logistic regression models were used to evaluate factors associated with self-reported surgeon propensities. Results Propensities were significantly associated with1several surgeon characteristics such as their self-reported surgery volume (P=0.003, OR=5.141,95%CI1.750-15.102) and communication styles (P=0.002, OR=0.787,95%CI0.679-0.913). In this survey, surgeon propensities were not affected by the other factors under consideration. Conclusions Surgeon propensities are significantly associated with their self-reported surgery volume and their communication styles,. Putting concerns on these surgeon characteristics may help improving the rate of BCS.