The BREAST-Q scale measurement was the tool chosen to support the data collection following the OECD guidelines for the international data collection on breast cancer PROMs [11 ]. The BREAST-Q scale was developed and validated to assess the impact and effectiveness of breast surgery to treat breast cancer from the perspective of the patient themselves and is an important measure of the health-related quality of life [15 (link)].
The BREAST-Q scale satisfaction with breast following BCT (lumpectomy) module has 11 items over four response hypotheses (1—very dissatisfied; 2—somewhat dissatisfied; 3—somewhat satisfied; 4—very satisfied). These items cover breast appearance in terms of size, symmetry, softness, implant placement, cleavage, and satisfaction with breasts in relation to how a bra fits and how the breasts look when clothed or unclothed. Instructions were given to the participant to fill out the questionnaire as follows:
“The following questions are about your breasts and your breast cancer treatment (by treatment, we mean lumpectomy with or without radiation). If you have had a lumpectomy, answer these questions thinking of the breast you are least satisfied with. With your breasts in mind, in the past, how satisfied or dissatisfied have you been with (…)”.
The translation and back-translation to Portuguese were carried out with the involvement of three researchers and the advice of three medical specialists in the field of breast cancer. The Portuguese version of the instrument showed excellent internal consistency (alpha = 0.93).
To complement data on BREAST-Q, the study also collected data on a complementary variable: the reduced version of the 6-item WHO QOL-BREF scale (WHOQOL) validated by Gaspar (2021) was used to measure the quality of life, with a good internal consistency (alpha = 0.83) [16 (link)]. The scale in the present study also shows a good internal consistency (alpha = 0.88).
The BREAST-Q scale satisfaction with breast following BCT (lumpectomy) module has 11 items over four response hypotheses (1—very dissatisfied; 2—somewhat dissatisfied; 3—somewhat satisfied; 4—very satisfied). These items cover breast appearance in terms of size, symmetry, softness, implant placement, cleavage, and satisfaction with breasts in relation to how a bra fits and how the breasts look when clothed or unclothed. Instructions were given to the participant to fill out the questionnaire as follows:
“The following questions are about your breasts and your breast cancer treatment (by treatment, we mean lumpectomy with or without radiation). If you have had a lumpectomy, answer these questions thinking of the breast you are least satisfied with. With your breasts in mind, in the past, how satisfied or dissatisfied have you been with (…)”.
The translation and back-translation to Portuguese were carried out with the involvement of three researchers and the advice of three medical specialists in the field of breast cancer. The Portuguese version of the instrument showed excellent internal consistency (alpha = 0.93).
To complement data on BREAST-Q, the study also collected data on a complementary variable: the reduced version of the 6-item WHO QOL-BREF scale (WHOQOL) validated by Gaspar (2021) was used to measure the quality of life, with a good internal consistency (alpha = 0.83) [16 (link)]. The scale in the present study also shows a good internal consistency (alpha = 0.88).
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