Klassen A, Pusic AL, Scott A, Klok J, Cano S. Satisfaction and quality of life in women who undergo breast surgery: A qualitative study. BMC Women's Health. 2009 May 1; 9:11.

Pusic AL, Chen CM, Cano S, Klassen A, McCarthy C, Collins ED, Cordeiro PG. Measuring quality of life in cosmetic and reconstructive breast surgery: a systematic review of patient-reported outcomes instruments. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2007 Sep 15;120(4):823-37.

Pusic AL et al. Measuring Quality of Life in Breast Surgery: Content Development of a New Modular System to Capture Patient-Reported Outcomes (The MSKCC Breast-Q). ISOQOL Annual Meeting, October 2006, Lisbon , Portugal.

Descriptive information:
The BREAST-Q™ is designed to provide clinicians and researchers the ability to tailor their own version of the questionnaire to suit their needs.


Basic structure:

4 separate modules for:

Reconstruction
Reduction
Augmentation
Mastectomy

Includes scales:

Satisfaction with breasts
Satisfaction with outcome
Psychosocial well-being
Physical well-being:

      Chest and upper body symptoms
      Trunk and abdoment symptoms

Sexual well-being
Satisfaction with abdominal appearance
Satisfaction with nipple appearance
Satisfaction with process of care:

     Information
     Plastic surgeon
     Medical team and office staff

Conditions of use:

1. User Agreement:

User is required to complete and sign a User Agreement in which specific conditions required by the Authors are detailed.

2. Access Fees:

 Author's royalty fees

- In non-funded academic research and non-funded clinical purposes (1): free of charge
- In funded academic research (2): US $200 per module per Protocol for use in a Study or in a Multicenter 
  Study
- In commercial studies involving “for-profit” organizations (3): US $1,600 per module per Protocol for use  
  in a Study or a Multicenter Study

In the case of a Multicenter Study, users shall pay an additional charge per participating institution for each requested module as follows:

- 2 – 5 sites US $500/site
- 6 – 10 sites US $300/site
- > 10 sites US $200/site

All fees are payable to MAPI Research Trust on behalf of the owners.
All royalty fees will be invoiced in Euros using the exchange rate prevailing at the Chase Manhattan Bank (N.A.) at the date of invoice-issuing.

Other specific conditions requested by the Authors are detailed in the User Agreement .

 MAPI Research Trust's Distribution fees are requested according to the study design and context of use of the questionnaire:

- In not-funded academic research (1) and individual clinical practice: free of charge
- In funded academic research (2) : 150 € * per module per study + an additional 20 €* per language  
   version
- In commercial studies (3) involving "for-profit" organizations:  500 € * per module per study + an 
   additional 100 €* per language version

* excluding VAT

(1) Not funded academic research: if the project is not explicitly funded, but funding comes from overall departmental funds or from the University or individual funds then fees are waived

(2) Funded academic research: projects receiving funding from commerce, government, EU should anticipate paying the corresponding fees

(3) Commercial studies (industry, CRO, any for-profit companies)


Translation information:

BREAST-Q™ was developed in US English. Below is the list of existing linguistically validated translations (November 2008):


Augmentation module

Reconstruction module

 Some translations may currently be ongoing. Please check with MAPI Research Trust.

New translations:

For the production of new translations to be used in commercial studies, each translation shall be coordinated by MAPI Institute.

For any further information, please contact:

MAPI Research Trust
Christelle Berne

27 rue de la Villette
F - 69003 LYON
Tel: +33 4 72 13 65 75
Fax: +33 4 72 13 66 82
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Please have the User Agreement completed, dated and signed and return one original copy to MAPI Research Trust by post. As soon as we receive it, we will process your request.


More information on the BREAST-Q on PROQOLID


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