Achieving consistent and equitable access to post mastectomy breast reconstruction

摘要

One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime and for many the recommended treatment plan will include mastectomy. For many women this can result in loss of femininity, sexual identity and long-term psychosocial impairment. With increasing numbers of women surviving the disease, minimizing the impact of cancer and its treatment has become an important element of the care pathway. Breast reconstruction has been shown to mitigate the adverse effects of mastectomy and improve health related quality of life for breast cancer survivors (1). Although both immediate and delayed reconstruction can be effective, women who undergo reconstruction at the time of mastectomy can be protected from a period of significant psychosocial distress and diminished sexual well-being (2). However, in spite of these proven benefits post mastectomy breast reconstruction (PMBR) is not consistently offered as part of the breast cancer treatment plan.