title: [The psychological impact of mastectomy on women with breast cancer].
abstract: 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.
authors: Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100041, China.
authors: Ru
authors: R
authors: Zhao
authors: Qun
authors: Q
authors: Qiao
authors: Ying
authors: Y
authors: Yue
authors: Su-bei
authors: SB
authors: Yi
authors: Lin
authors: L
authors: Chen
authors: Jie
authors: J
authors: Chen
authors: Qiang
authors: Q
authors: Sun
authors: San-tai
authors: ST
authors: Song
mesh_terms: 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