A trial looking at quality of life after having a mastectomy and breast reconstruction (QUEST A)

This trial was comparing how women feel after having 1 of 2 types of surgery to make a new breast shape (breast reconstruction). The trial was supported by Cancer Research UK.

If you have surgery to remove breast cancer, you may have your whole breast removed. This is called a mastectomy. You can also have surgery to make a new breast shape. This is called breast reconstruction. You may have breast reconstruction at the same time as a mastectomy.

This trial was looking at one of the most common type of breast reconstruction that creates a new breast shape using muscle from your back and tissue from under your shoulder blade. It is called latissimus dorsi breast reconstruction (LDBR).

There are 2 ways to carry out LDBR. The back flap method makes a new breast shape from muscle, fat and skin from your back. The implant assisted method uses the same muscle, but less fat and skin. Instead it uses a salt water or silicone implant to create the breast shape.

The researchers already knew that both methods gave good cosmetic results. But they wanted to find out how each method affected women’s quality of life.

This was a pilot study to see if it would be possible to run a larger trial. The main aim was to see how many women were willing to take part in a trial comparing the 2 different types of surgery. The trial team also wanted to understand more about how women decided whether or not to take part.