The attitude of South African women to mastectomy for breast cancer.
No previous study has reported on the acceptance of and attitudes towards the treatment of breast cancer among white South African women. The influence of age, social, economic and marital status, occupation, and the effect of knowledge of the disease on the reaction to the possible diagnosis of breast cancer, the attitude to mastectomy, and physical and psychological readjustment after mastectomy were studied in 100 respondents to a questionnaire. The preliminary conclusions from this study are that South African women desire effective treatment of breast cancer, that physical and psychological readjustments are readily made by the majority without major problems, and that reconstructive surgery is not in high demand.
D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008393:Marriage; D008408:Mastectomy / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013019:South Africa