Patient satisfaction and quality of life after MammoSite breast brachytherapy

Purpose To perform a satisfaction/quality-of-life (QOL) survey of patients undergoing MammoSite brachytherapy (MBT; Hologic, Inc, Marlborough, MA). Methods We asked patients 15 questions regarding treatment decision-making, and experience on-therapy/post-treatment. Results A total of 52 patients responded (median follow-up 30 months). Regarding decision-making, 5.8% viewed the avoidance of mastectomy as “not important.” If MBT were not available, 55.8% would opt for whole-breast radiotherapy (WBRT) without difficulty, 28.8% would have significant travel/financial difficulty, and 15.4% would refuse radiotherapy/opt for mastectomy. Regarding choice factors, patients selected “focused therapy” (44.2%), “convenience” (36.5%), and “cutting edge” (17.3%). A total of 61.5% patients were not concerned about a second surgical procedure; 90.4% were not/somewhat concerned about infection. During treatment, 73.1% reported no pain/discomfort with catheter, 73.1% no wound difficulty, 51.0% no pain during removal, and 71.2% no pain post-treatment. A total of 98.1% of patients rated the experience good/excellent, 90.4% reported no/minor side effects, 92.3% rated cosmesis good/excellent, 98.1% were very/extremely likely to choose MBT again, and 100% would recommend MBT. Conclusions QOL is high during/after MBT. More data are needed from ongoing trials to compare with WBRT.