Investigating the Difference in Quality of Life Between Immediate and Delayed Breast Cancer Reconstruction: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background/Aim: Immediate and delayed breast reconstruction remains a controversial topic. Apart from the clinical outcomes that have to be considered, there is a discrepancy of opinions regarding the potential differences in quality of life. It is essential to clarify this issue, in order to contribute to the reconstruction of the decision-making process. The aim of the study was to investigate potential differences in quality of life between immediate and delayed breast reconstruction patients. Materials and Methods: A systematic review of the literature was carried out, searching for case-control studies that have comparatively examined the effects of delayed and immediate reconstruction on quality of life. A literature search was carried out using the Medline, Scopus and Web of Science databases. The quality of the studies was evaluated using the STROBE checklist for case-control studies. Results: Three studies were found showing that immediate reconstruction led to benefits for the quality of life of patients, while one study showed the opposite. A relevant study revealed no statistically significant differences between the two groups, while another study, showed that immediate reconstruction entailed short-term benefits to quality of life. Four of the studies had debatable methodological approaches. Conclusion: The inconsistent study findings cannot lead to any reliable conclusions regarding differences between immediate and delayed reconstruction in quality of life. It is possible that the results vary due to the time point that the comparisons made. Future research to this direction is warranted.