UMCG starts research on women’s satisfaction with their breasts

Three UMCG departments are starting research on the satisfaction of women with their breasts. The subjects are women who have never had any surgery on or treatment of their breasts. With the results of this research, the plastic surgery department wants to further improve care for women who suffer from breast cancer or have had breast cancer in the past and who have or want to undergone breast reconstruction. To be able to assess the success of breast reconstruction, the department wants to gain more insight into how satisfied women are with their breasts in general.

Every year, more than 15,000 women in the Netherlands develop breast cancer. These women deserve the best possible care and the best possible quality of life after treatment. Since 2010, the plastic surgery department of the UMCG, together with the departments of surgical oncology and epidemiology, have been conducting research into both emotional and physical aspects of quality of life in women undergoing breast reconstruction as part of their breast cancer treatment or due to a high risk for breast cancer.

In order to assess how successful breast reconstruction is, the researchers want to gain insight into how satisfied women in general are with their breasts. To this end, they aim to collect data from women who have never had any breast surgery; this means that, this week, 5,000 women in the city of Groningen will receive a request to send in a questionnaire about their satisfaction with their breasts. The answers from this group of women will be compared with the answers from women who previously underwent breast reconstruction.

Through this medical-scientific research, the UMCG aims to provide the best possible treatment and care for women who have or who have had breast cancer and are undergoing breast reconstruction.

The results of this study can be expected in one year.