[The psychological impact of mastectomy on women with breast cancer].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the psychological impact of mastectomy on women with breast cancer.


METHODS
Questionnaires were answered by 90 patients after mastectomy for breast cancer. The data were collected and analyzed regarding the age, occupation, education, income and living place of the patients. Their psychological changes were compared and evaluated statistically using chi-square analysis.


RESULTS
Mastectomy caused psychological impact on half of the patients, which included fear of cancer, feeling of body incompleteness, inconvenience in working and social communication, less sexual act and low spirit. 79 percent of the patients considered breast reconstruction unnecessary. 54 percent did not know that the breast could be reconstructed. The patient feelings differed with the age, occupation, income and living place.


CONCLUSIONS
Mastectomy hurts patient psychological health.
Zhao
Ru
R
Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100041, China.
Qiao
Qun
Q
Yue
Ying
Y
Yi
Su-bei
SB
Chen
Lin
L
Chen
Jie
J
Sun
Qiang
Q
Song
San-tai
ST
D000367:Age Factors; D001828:Body Image; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016462:Mammaplasty / Q000523:psychology; D008408:Mastectomy / Q000523:psychology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires