Quality of breast prostheses must be addressed, conference told

Inadequacies in the fitting and supply of breast prostheses for women who have had breast cancer need to be addressed urgently, a nursing conference in Dublin has been told.

The Health4Life three-day conference at the school of nursing in Dublin City University was told yesterday that the majority of women surveyed on their experiences of being fitted with prostheses were dissatisfied with the emotional level of support given by the fitter.

Most said they would prefer to be fitted with their first silicone prosthesis by a breast care nurse.

The survey also found that although a replacement prosthesis is recommended every two years, a sixth of the 527 women surveyed had the same prosthesis for more than four years, due to the cost of replacing it and the travel involved in getting to their nearest fitting centre.

Some 16,000 women in Ireland require prostheses following mastectomy for breast cancer. After surgery, women are given a temporary soft prosthesis and eight weeks later they are fitted with a silicone prosthesis, which should be replaced every two years. Replacements cost on average €125.

The study, External Breast Prosthesis Use & Post-Mastectomy Care: A National Study of Women's Needs and Expectations, was presented by Dr Pamela Gallagher, lecturer in psychology, DCU school of nursing, and was supported by Action Breast Cancer.

"The breast prosthesis is important for balance, posture, shape, appearance to self and others, a sense of well-being, self-confidence and femininity," she said. "We must work toward providing a quality service for all."

The preliminary results of another study, Irish Nurses Attitudes to Death and the Care of Dying Patients, were also presented yesterday by Eileen Courtney from the DCU school of nursing.

The study identified the factors that nurses believe assist and impede the provision of quality care at the end of life.