A Survey to Assess Knowledge, Attitudes & Practices in Surgeons With Regards to Breast Conservation Surgery & Mastectomy

With increasing evidence the management of breast cancer surgery has seen a paradigm shift towards breast conservation, heralding an era of oncoplastic breast surgery. Despite data supporting BCS(breast conservative surgeries) in suitable patients with early breast cancer, a significant percentage of women in India who would be candidates for BCS still decide to undergo mastectomy. The factors that influence these treatment decisions are complex and involve issues regarding access to health care, concerns for cancer recurrence, and the impact of surgery on body image and sexuality. Surgeon plays an important role in patient selection for breast conservation based on clinico-pathological characters, explaining to patient regarding mandatory locoregional radiotherapy and regular follow up, helping patient make an informed decision by providing safety and outcome profile as compared to mastectomy. Surgeon's recommendations are considered as important as patient's perception of body image issues, while making the decision. Surgeon's recommendations are usually based on their knowledge and belief regarding patient's disease characteristics and their perceptions regarding patient's socioeconomic capabilities and perceived compliance to prescribed treatment plan. Hence we are conducting this web based e-survey in surgeons from Private hospitals (breast specific practice) Medical colleges and Regional Cancer Centers (RCC) with an aim to evaluate the to understand knowledge, attitude and practices of primary surgeons regarding breast conservation surgery Vs mastectomy in treatment of breast cancer. We plan to administer the questionnaire to approximately 100 surgeons, equally distributed within aforementioned sectors.