The Evidence Speaks Series is a recurring feature highlighting the latest in Advancing Health research. This series features summaries of select publications and is designed to keep media and the research community up to date with the Centre’s current research results in the health outcomes field.
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How different styles of surgery for breast cancer impacts quality-of-life for patients
Liu C, Beresford A, Saleeb M, Liu G, Crump T, Warburton R, Pao J-S, Dingee CK, Bazzarelli A, Sutherland JM, McKevitt EC. Preoperative and Postoperative Change in Patient-Reported Health-Related Quality of Life Outcomes in Breast Cancer Surgery Patients Across Surgical Modalities: A Prospective Study. Cancers. 2025;17(9):1409.
A breast cancer diagnosis can cause significant psychological strain, with women reporting poor sleep, depression, and anxiety before surgery. Understanding pre- and post-operative health-related quality of life (QoL) outcomes for procedures allows physicians and patients to make the most informed choice. Dr. Jason Sutherland, Advancing Health Program Head for Health Services and Outcomes, joined a group of researchers to investigate QoL outcomes in three different types of breast-cancer related procedure: breast-conserving surgery (BCS), total mastectomy with no reconstruction surgery (TMNR), and total mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction (MIBR). The team assessed health-related QoL using pre- and post-operative surveys in 471 breast cancer patients. The surveys assessed anxiety, depression, pain, perceived health, breast satisfaction, and psychosocial, physical, and sexual well-being. They found that patients who underwent BCS reported better health-related quality-of-life outcomes post surgery, specifically in terms of breast satisfaction, psychosocial, physical, and sexual well-being, compared to MIBR and TMNR patients. The study also found that younger age rather than surgical modality had a strong correlation to post-operative depression, pain, and anxiety. Considering differences in post-operative QoL when discussing surgical options with patients can help inform shared decision-making and improve treatment outcomes.
Team consistency and role optimization drive teamwork in team-based cancer care
Lambert LK, Havaei F, Beck SM, Ma A, Larmet J, Kaur J, Adhami N, Le D, Woods R. An early evaluation of team consistency and scope optimization in team-based cancer care. BMC Cancer. 2025;25(1):371.
Team-based care (TBC) has been heavily prioritized by the government of British Columbia in its provincial comprehensive cancer control program. TBC implementation involves efforts towards establishing/expanding multidisciplinary care teams, optimizing scope of practice, and increasing care team consistency. Advancing Health’s Dr. Farinaz Havaei and team conducted an early phase evaluation of the relationship between specific elements of team-based cancer care and program effectiveness, as well as staff perceptions of barriers and facilitators of team effectiveness. The study analysed data from a May 2023 survey administered to 299 staff members of provincial comprehensive cancer control program, including physicians, nurses, and unit clerks. Respondents highlighted team consistency and role optimization as drivers of effective teamwork in the early implementation of TBC model of cancer care. They also found that better team consistency was associated with higher team effectiveness ratings among respondents, and more frequent instances of practicing below full scope were associated with lower effectiveness ratings. The findings from this study indicate that health care organizations should consider team consistency and below-scope practice as factors when planning and implementing strategies aimed at improving cancer care services.
The mental short-cuts which influence cancer care patients’ decision to share data for research
Hermansen A, Pollard S, McGrail K, Bansback N, Regier DA. Heuristics Identified in Health Data-Sharing Preferences of Patients with Cancer: Qualitative Focus Group Study. J Med Internet Res. 2024;26: e63155.
Heuristics are the mental short-cuts we use to process the information needed to evaluate different options for the thousands of problems we face in a day. These shortcuts influence how we make decisions, both large and small, including as participants in research. Advancing Health’s Dr. Nick Bansback and a team from BC Cancer Research Institute explored how patients with cancer use heuristics when deciding whether to share their data for research. Evaluation of precision oncology outcomes requires researchers to have access to real-world and clinical trial data. But access to this information relies heavily on patient consent to data collection, which is where heuristic decision-making processes come in. Dr. Bansback and team conducted three focus groups across 19 Canadians with lived or living experience of cancer. The team analyzed the discussions in the focus groups and identified 12 heuristics that influenced patients’ decision-making process on sharing their data, including social norms, community-building, recognition, reputation, authority, illusion of control, transparency, availability and affect heuristics. The study findings indicate that considering heuristic processing as a factor when designing current consent mechanisms can help researchers and physicians engage in more meaningful and realistic interactions with patients when seeking consent to access and share their data.
