Medical professionals’ knowledge of the use of external breast prostheses among breast cancer patients in China—a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Breast loss has a negative effect on women physically, psychologically and socially. External breast prostheses can improve patients' figure physically, increase their self-confidence, and thus improve quality of life. Little is known about the knowledge of medical professionals on the use of external breast prostheses in mainland China. This study sought to examine medical professionals' knowledge of the use of external breast prostheses among breast cancer patients in China.Methods: Self-designed questionnaires were administered to 635 medical professionals specializing in breast cancer in China to examine their knowledge.Results: Medical professionals who were older in age, those who had higher levels of education and those who had senior professional titles had a broader professional knowledge of external breast prostheses.Medical professionals who were younger in age and those who had junior professional titles thought that the patients were willing to choose direct-adhesive breast prostheses. Medical professionals who were older in age, those who had higher levels of education, those who had senior professional titles and those who had been working for many (but less than 30) years were more likely to think that patients could wear external breast prostheses shortly after surgery, and at all times except when sleeping. More highly educated doctors, head nurses and medical staffs from the East were more likely to think that patients would accept the use of high-priced external breast prostheses.Conclusions: Medical professionals' knowledge about the wearing of external breast prostheses is lacking.A number of factors, including age, education level, professional title, number of years working years and geographical region have different effects on medical professionals' knowledge. Medical professionals with a good knowledge of external breast prostheses, especially specialist breast nurses, can provide patients with comprehensive information about breast prostheses, assist patients in selecting the appropriate prostheses, understand patients' wearing experiences, and help to reduce patients' physical and mental distress.

Dynamic Changes in Quality of Life, Psychological Status, and Body Image in Women With Different Types of Breast Cancer Surgery: 8-year Follow Up

“…However, over time, they may have experienced many changes in their bodies and ended up unhappy with their BI. Furthermore, the mastectomy and MRM patients have a xed scar in their breast area post-surgery, and may have found that they can had alternatives such as external (prosthesis) [2,26,53] to keep their BI stable and didn't have any worries about further recurrent or post-surgical complications. However, one study examined changes in BI and QoL in women who underwent BCS compared with mastectomies and found similar uctuation in BI after BCS, but that study did not include BR patients [65].…”

Delayed Presentation, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Breast Cancer Among Chinese Women

“…Breast lumps without pain were most common, followed by breast lumps with pain, constituting 62.4% to 98% of the initial symptoms reported. 17,19,24,25,27,31 Li's 19 quantitative analysis showed that women having breast symptoms without pain, bleeding, or discharge were more likely to have longer patient intervals than An et al women having these symptoms. The qualitative studies consistently reported that some women thought that a breast lump was not serious as long as it was painless, 23,29 and the absence of physical discomfort led women to think "they would be fine" 18(p400) and dismiss their symptoms.…”

“…The quality scores of studies conducted in mainland China ranged from 20 to 35, whereas those conducted in Taiwan and Hong Kong generally showed higher quality, scoring from 28 to 40 and 29 to 39, respectively. Also, the quality of the studies published in Chinese was relatively low (20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28), compared with the quality of those published in English (29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36)(37)(38)(39)(40). Because this review was integrative, no cutoff score was used to exclude studies.…”

“…18,23,28,29 Two studies reported low levels of knowledge of breast cancer symptoms and breast cancer screening among women in mainland China and Taiwan without examining the impact on delay. 19,24 A logistic regression showed that women having less knowledge of breast cancer symptoms were more likely to have delayed presentation. 27 A 2013 mainland study reported that of 14 participants diagnosed with stage III or IV breast cancer after delaying presentation more than 6 months, 2 had not heard of breast cancer before their diagnosis and 9 had never performed breast self-examination.…”

“…The patient interval was most commonly studied. In women diagnosed with breast cancer, 31.5% to 40.4 delayed 3 months or more in mainland China 22,24,26,27 ; this proportion was 32.9% in Taiwan 19 and 27.6% to 29% in Hong Kong. 30,31 The system interval was examined in 3 studies.…”