Psychosocial Outcomes of Quadrantectomy Versus Mastectomy in a Southern Italian Sample: Development and Needs of the Italian Derriford Appearance Scale 24

BACKGROUND/AIM: Breast cancer is associated with appearance concerns and issues of appearance identity, that require an appropriate and independent assessment. The Derriford Appearance Scale (DAS) has been widely used to this end, as has been shown in UK and other international samples. The aim of this study was to determine the extent to which an Italian translation of DAS24 is valid, reliable, and culturally appropriate, while remaining user friendly. The extent to which the statistical robustness of the scale is maintained was also assessed. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ninety-three female participants were recruited at a Breast Cancer Department in Southern Italy. According to the protocol designed by the original authors of the questionnaire, a booklet containing the DAS24ita and other scale was completed anonymously by participants. CONCLUSION: The results of the statistical analysis confirmed the validity and reliability of the DAS24ita. The DAS24ita demonstrated significant correlations with the other measures of appearance sensitivity and quality of life. The translated scale was able to differentiate among patients with differential diagnoses, and was more sensitive to these differences than generic quality-of-life scales.