title: Informational and psychosocial needs of women choosing conservative surgery/primary radiation for early stage breast cancer.
abstract: Recent advances in the treatment of early stage breast cancer give women a choice of treatments. Prospective and retrospective studies demonstrate the comparable efficacy of treatment with a modified radical mastectomy and treatment with conservative surgery and primary radiation. While the number of women with early stage breast cancer choosing the latter treatment continues to increase, there is a paucity of information in the nursing literature assessing the informational and psychosocial needs of this group. This article reports the results of a questionnaire assessing the informational and psychosocial needs of patients choosing breast conservation surgery, and the future implications of these results for the nursing profession.
authors.affiliation: Booth Memorial Medical Center, Flushing, New York.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cawley
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kostic
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cappello
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015412:Mastectomy, Segmental / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012931:Social Environment; D012944:Social Support