Analysis

Patients planning to undergo CPM were compared to those anticipating BCS or unilateral mastectomy (UM) on demographic and clinical characteristics. Chi-square tests or Fisher’s exact tests were used for categorical variables, as appropriate; Mantel Haenszel chi-square tests were used for ordinal variables; and two-sample t-tests were used for continuous variables. Perceived risk scores were compared between surgical groups using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and its non-parametric equivalent, the Kruskal-Wallis test. In addition, individual patients’ perceived risks were reviewed and the percentage of women who reported identical 10-year and lifetime risks or identical risk of recurrence, CBC, or distant recurrence were calculated. Finally, patients’ comments about their risk perceptions were extracted from the interview transcripts and reviewed by two study team members. Key themes were identified using an inductive approach and all responses were coded for those themes.