title: [Quality of life of women recovering from breast cancer after being subjected to mastectomies compared with those who had conservative surgery: a review of the literature].
abstract: This study reviews the literature on the quality of life (QoL) of women with breast cancer who have been subjected to mastectomy, compared with those who had conservative surgery. Eight random controlled trials were selected. The studies were compared with respect to the moment quality of life was assessed (whether during or after treatment for breast cancer), the measurement tools of quality of life used, and also the methodology and results achieved. The results of four studies suggest a stronger negative impact in the QoL of mastectomized women; the other four studies showed no difference between the groups in terms of QoL. Objective measurements of quality of life may help identify potentially critical situations of daily life and assist in planning actions to promote health among women who have been subjected to breast cancer surgery.
authors.affiliation: Grupo de pesquisa em Psicologia da Saúde, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psicologia, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS.
authors.forename: Juliana Machado
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Majewski
authors.forename: Aline Daniela Fernandes
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.forename: Tárcia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Davoglio
authors.forename: José Carlos de Carvalho
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Leite
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008408:Mastectomy / Q000379:methods; D011788:Quality of Life