Breast-conserving surgery (“lumpectomy”) with primary radiation therapy is gaining acceptance as an alternative to mastectomy for breast cancer. Currently, little is known about the specific immediate and long-range biopsychosocial effects of breast-conserving therapy as compared to more traditional mastectomy procedures. Physicians' speculations about the women who chose breast-conserving treatment as opposed to mastectomy seem to have been influenced by the scientific debate concerning the efficacy of this procedure. This study is a preliminary investigation of the attitudes and experiences of women receiving breast-saving therapy for carcinoma of the breast.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Breast-Saving Surgery, Radiation for Early Cancer Gaining Advocates, Medical News, Journal of the American Medical Association, 245: 1, pp. 661–663, 1981.
2.
LeveneM. B.HarrisJ. R., and HellmanS., Treatment of Carcinoma of the Breast by Radiation Therapy, Cancer, 39, pp. 2840–2845, 1977.
3.
MontagueE. D.GutierrezA. E.BarkerJ. L.TapleyN., and FletcherG. H., Conservative Surgery and Irradiation for the Treatment of Favorable Breast Cancer, Cancer, 43, pp. 1058–1061, 1979.
4.
HellmanS.HarrisJ. R., and LeveneM., Radiation Therapy of Early Carcinoma of the Breast without Mastectomy, Cancer, 46, pp. 988–995, 1980.
5.
PetersV., Wedge Resection with or without Radiation in Early Breast Cancer, International Journal of Radiation, Biology, Oncology, Physiology, 2, pp. 1151–1155, 1977.
6.
PierquinB.OwenR.MaylinC., Radiation Therapy of Breast Cancer, International Journal of Radiation, Biology, Oncology, Physiology, 6, pp. 17–23, 1980.
7.
VeronesiU.SaccozziR.Del VecchioM., Comparing Radical Mastectomy with Quadrantectomy, Axillary Dissection and Radiotherapy in Patients with Small Cancers of the Breast, New England Journal of Medicine, 305, pp. 6–13, 1981.
8.
BardM., The Sequence of Emotional Reactions in Radical Mastectomy Patients, Public Health Report, 64, p. 1144, 1952.
9.
WordenW. J. and WeismanA. D., The Fallacy in Post-Mastectomy Depression, American Journal of Medical Science, 273: 2, pp. 169–175, 1977.
10.
RayC., Psychological Implications of Mastectomy, British Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 16, pp. 373–377, 1977.
11.
MorrisT.GreerH. S., and WhiteP., Psychological and Social Adjustment to Mastectomy, Cancer, 40, pp. 2381–2387, 1977.
12.
MaguireG. P.LeeE. G.BenningtonD. J.KuchemannC. S.GrabtreeR. J., and CornellC. E., Psychiatric Problems in the First Year after Mastectomy, British Medical Journal, pp. 963–969, April, 1978.
13.
JamisonK. R.WellischD. F., and PasnauR. O., Psychosocial Aspects of Mastectomy: I. The Woman's Perspective, American Journal of Psychiatry, 135: 4, pp. 432–443, 1978.
14.
LewisF. M. and BloomJ. R., Psychosocial Adjustment to Breast Cancer: A Review of Selected Literature, International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, 9: 1, pp. 1–17, 1978–1979.
15.
MorrisT., Psychological Adjustment to Mastectomy, Cancer Treatment Reviews, 6, pp. 41–61, 1979.
16.
TalbottE. E.MarinC. B., and MuellerD. P., The Evaluation of Postmastectomy Morbidity: A Review of the Literature, Preventive Medicine, 8, pp. 429–440, 1979.
17.
SangerC. and ReznikoffM., Comparison of the Psychological Effects of Breast-saving Procedures with the Modified Radical Mastectomy, Cancer, 48, pp. 2341–2346, 1981.
18.
LyonJ. S., Management of Psychological Problems in Breast Cancer, in Breast Cancer Management—Early and Late, in Year Book Medical, StollB. A. (ed), pp. 225–235, 1977.
19.
PeckA. and BolandJ., Emotional Reactions to Radiation Treatment, Cancer, 40, pp. 180–184, 1977.
20.
BloomJ. R.RossR. D., and BurnellG., The Effect of Social Support on Patient Adjustment after Breast Surgery, Patient Counseling and Health Education, pp. 50–59, Fall, 1978.
21.
MeyerowitzB. E., Psychosocial Correlates of Breast Cancer and Its Treatments, Psychological Bulletin, 87: 1, pp. 108–131, 1980.
22.
WeismanA. D. and WordenJ. W., The Existential Plight in Cancer: Significance of the First 100 Days, International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, 7: 1, 1976.
23.
WeissmanM. M. and BothwellS., Assessment of Social Adjustment by Patient Self-report, Archives of General Surgery, 33, pp. 1111–1115, 1976.
24.
RossR. D.StockdaleF., and JacobsC., Cancer Patient Behavior Scale: Scores of Cancer Patients and Healthy Adults, Proceedings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, 19, p. 348, 1978.
