Breast cancer significantly impacts dimensions of quality of life such as mental health, one's level of activity, family well-being, physical concerns (symptoms and pain), treatment satisfaction, emotional well-being, sexual intimacy, and social functioning.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of the type of surgery on the quality of life of women being treated for breast cancer, based on the comparison of samples of women who have undergone different types of surgery.

Our sample consists of 90 Portuguese women divided into three groups of 30 participants each. The first group underwent radical surgery in order to treat their breast cancer. The second group of women had conservative surgery as a breast cancer treatment. Finally, the last group of women did not have any type of surgical intervention. We use a socio-demographic questionnaire and the Portuguese version of the EORTC QLQ-30 as measurement instruments. The sample consists of patients from a central hospital in Lisbon, Portugal, and the data were collected anonymously.

We find that in all dimensions of quality of life measured, including general health, physical functioning, social roles, and all emotional, cognitive, and social dimensions, the group of women who underwent radical surgery shows lower scores when compared to the other two groups. This indicates that this group has lower levels of quality of life.

The use of surgery for the treatment of breast cancer leads to a diminished quality of life following surgical intervention.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.