Some Social and Emotional Consequences of Breast Cancer and Mastectomy

Abstract

Content analyses of 87 interviews with women who had undergone a modified radical mastectomy 6 to 26 months before the study suggested that the most common concerns among these women were (1) an inability to engage in vigorous physical activity, (2) the possibility that the cancer would return, and (3) resentment or worry that they had not received the best possible medical care. Problems resulting from the supposed stigmatizing effects of cancer were reported by fewer than 10 percent of the women. Instead of reports of rejection and abandonment, substantial numbers of patients reported closer family ties and a more positive outlook on life. These results seem inconsistent with the widely held belief that victims of misfortune, particularly cancer patients, are derogated and shunned by significant others.