Unpacking the Role of Emotions in Mastectomy Decisions with Clara N. Lee, MD

A bilateral prophylactic mastectomy for women at high risk of developing breast cancer can reduce their risk of developing the disease by up to 90 percent, according to the National Cancer Institute. An increasing number of women, including young women, are taking up this option. And while the data shows mastectomy is an effective method of reducing breast cancer risk, doctors still have to consider patients' choices which often involve other factors. For the individual patient, choosing a mastectomy is a complex non-linear process that is affected by personal knowledge, past experiences, and emotions surrounding identity and societal expectation. To understand these factors more, Oncology Times interviewed Clara N. Lee, MD, Associate Professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Lee’s clinical practice focuses on breast reconstruction and microvascular surgery and her research focuses on understanding and improving how people with cancer make decisions about surgery. She recently authored a paper titled “The Role of Emotion in Cancer Surgery Decisions: Applying Concepts From Decision Psychology” published in the Annals of Surgery (2021; doi: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000004574). She has expertise in patient-reported outcomes for breast reconstruction and patient decision-making about breast cancer treatments. We discussed a bit of her research into the emotional journeys of patients who are deciding whether to proceed with contralateral prophylactic mastectomy