Early decision regret and its relationship with decision participation among breast cancer patients undergoing surgery

Purpose

Decision regret is a negative emotion that persistently impacts the patients’ quality of life and future decision-making process. This study aimed to explore the early decision regret among breast cancer patients undergoing surgery and its relationship with their perceived importance and actual participation in decision-making.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted from August 2024 to March 2025. Breast cancer patients undergoing surgery were recruited by convenience sampling. All the participants completed the decision regret scale and the questionnaire measuring perceived importance of participation and the degree of participation in decision-making about treatment, in one month after they received surgery.

Results

A total of 213 breast cancer patients undergoing surgery participated in this study. Among them, 85.4 % (n = 182) experienced early decision regret, with 43.2 % of them (n = 92) having a low level of decision regret and 42.2 % (n = 90) having a high level of decision regret. Their decision regret was significantly associated with their actual participation in decision-making (B = 8.246, 95 % CI: 2.037–14.455, p = 0.009). but not with their perceived importance of participation. The lower the extent of participation in decision-making, the higher the level of decision regret.

Conclusion

The majority of the breast cancer patients receiving surgery experienced early decision regret. It is associated with their actual participation in decision-making. Promoting breast cancer patients’ participation in their own decision-making, such as patient-centered communication and a shared decision-making model, may have the potential to alleviate their regrets about their early decisions.