Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016 Oct 1;12(4):145-150.
doi: 10.5152/tjbh.2016.2913. eCollection 2016 Oct.

Body Image of Women with Breast Cancer After Mastectomy: A Qualitative Research

Sema Koçan  1 , Ayla Gürsoy  2
Affiliations

Body Image of Women with Breast Cancer After Mastectomy: A Qualitative Research

Sema Koçan et al. J Breast Health. .

Abstract

Objective: To gain a holistic and deep understanding about how mastectomy effects the body image of women who have breast cancer.

Materials and methods: The sample of this qualitative descriptive study consisted of twenty patients who underwent mastectomy procedures. Semi-structured interviews were conducted during the second week after mastectomy. Each interview was transcribed verbatim, and a thematic analysis was performed.

Results: After the mastectomy, the findings related to the women's body image and their experiences were specified as four main themes and seven sub-themes. The main themes were: meaning of the breast, mastectomy and me, my body image and body image changes, and social life. Most of the participants in this study stated that the breast meant femininity, beauty, and motherhood. It was found that the meaning of mastectomy varied according to individuals. Women used quite negative statements about their appearances. The participants also said that they felt that half themselves was missing, as individuals and women. The women stated that they preferred clothes that hid their lack of breast. Some of the participants mentioned that relations with their husbands were not like before, and they abstained from social interaction.

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that mastectomy as a surgical treatment for breast cancer may negatively affect a woman's body image and her self-image.

Keywords: Body image; breast care nursing; mastectomy; qualitative research.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: No conflict of interest was declared by the authors.

References

    1. Sağlık Bakanlığı TC. In: Kanserle Savaş Dairesi Başkanlığı Ulusal Kanser Programı 2009–2015. Tuncer M, editor. [Republic of Turkey, Department of Aganist-Cancer, National Cancer Programme 2009–2015]. Ankara: 2009. Bakanlık Yayın No: 760.
    1. Ozmen V, Boylu S, Ok E, Canturk NZ, Celik V, Kapkac M, Girgin S, Tireli M, Ihtiyar E, Demircan O, Baskan MS, Koyuncu A, Tasdelen I, Dumanli E, Ozdener F, Zaborek P. Factors affecting breast cancer treatment delay in Turkey: a study from Turkish Federation of Breast Diseases Societies. Eur J Public Health. 2014;25:9–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/cku086. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Özmen V. Breast Cancer In The World And Turkey. J Breast Health. 2008;4:6–12.
    1. Cebeci F, Yangın HB, Tekeli A. Life experiences of women with breast cancer in south western Turkey: A qualitative study. Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2011;16:406–412. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejon.2011.09.003. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Garip M. Meme kanseri nedeniyle opere olan hastalarda meme koruyucu cerrahi veya radikal mastektomi kararını etkileyen faktörler ve cerrahi türünün hasta üzerindeki etkileri. [For the patients who had operation due to breast cancer, factors affecting the desicion of breast protective surgery or radical mastectomy and impacts of surgical choice on patient]. Uzmanlık Tezi, Sağlık Bakanlığı Dr. Lütfi Kırdar Kartal Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi Aile Hekimliği; İstanbul: 2008.

LinkOut - more resources