Cosmesis after early stage breast cancer treatment with surgery and radiation therapy: experience of patients treated in a Chilean radiotherapy centre

Aim: To analyse the overall cosmetic outcome according to patient self-assessment in relation to the fractionation received. Materials and methods:A questionnaire, drawn up on the basis of subjective rating scales of cosmesis and of acute and late toxicity RTOG/EORTC, EORTC QLQ-C30 (v3) and LENT SOMA, was applied to patients with early-stage breast cancer who received radiotherapy with tangential fields between June 2014 and July 2015.Self-perception of cosmesis, changes in the treated breast, pain and fractionation used (hypofractionation (HF) 42.56 Gy in 16 fractions or conventional fractionation (CF) 50 Gy in 25 fractions) were evaluated.Results: Three hundred and fifty-two questionnaires were obtained.The median age was 58 years.45% of patients reported 'excellent' cosmesis, 53% 'good', and 2% 'poor' cosmesis.Cosmesis was considered 'excellent/good' by 98% of patients.No statistically significant difference was found in overall cosmesis according to fractionation received (p = 0.6).The most frequent alteration was 'difference between both breasts' (77%), and 48% reported change in normal breast colour.Fifteen percent of patients who are younger than 58 years reported a change of normal breast colour affecting cosmesis compared to 9% of patients older than 58 years (p = 0.04).Complications affecting breast cosmesis were reported by 9% of patients with stages I-II compared with 2% with cancer in situ (DCIS) (p = 0.04); 14% in stages I-II referred colour change affecting cosmesis compared to 6% of those with DCIS (p = 0.03).Ninety-four percent of patients stated that they would accept treatment again.www.ecancer.orgecancer 2018, 12:819 Conclusions: No difference in cosmetic results was found between HF and CF in our patients.Great satisfaction regarding cosmetic outcome of cancer treatment was reported, given by 98% of excellent/good cosmesis, and 94% of patients who would receive treatment again.