Table 1.

Semi-structured interview guide for use with breast cancer surgeons and residents. A recent pan-Canadian study reported that Newfoundland and Labrador had the highest rates of mastectomies in Canada.

Themes	Questions and probes for discussion
Comment on statement above	Does this finding surprise you? (probes - does that correspond with your clinical experience? Would you agree with the finding? Why do you think that might be?)
Mastectomy treatment	What factors would lead you to recommend mastectomy to a breast cancer patient?
Breast conserving surgical treatment	What factors would lead you to recommend breast conserving surgery instead? (Probes - would this always involve radiation therapy as well? Are there non-clinical factors that might influence your surgical recommendation?)
Perceptions of women’s surgical choices	Do you think women should be involved in decision making regarding their surgical treatments? If so how? (probes - Do you think women want to be involved in decision making regarding their surgical treatments? If so, to what extent? What do you think of the current recommendation for ‘shared decision-making’ among patients and clinicians?)
Reflections on the factors influencing women’s surgical choices	Which factors do you feel most influence women’s choices about MT or BCS? (probe - do you think there is a most important factor for women in making the decision to undergo MT or BCS?)
Need for education and tools	Do you think there is any benefit to developing a decision aid or some kind of tool for women to help them make choices about surgery related to breast cancer? (probe - what might this tool look like? What exactly would be helpful?)