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Breast cancer survivors can restore their body image with breast reconstruction surgery.
Survivors of breast cancer can regain their body image with breast reconstruction surgery.
Body image is an essential aspect of femininity. Body image disturbances occurring due to breast cancer pose a difficult challenge, which can impact the quality of life of breast cancer survivors. Various treatment modalities used to cure cancer may result in major alterations of body image. Breast cancer is the major cause of the increasing death rate among women. The incidence and prevalence of breast cancer have been increasing in the last decade.
Treatment of breast cancer involves various external and internal bodily alterations. Moreover, the psychological and physical changes that occur due to the disease and its treatment affect the body image of women. Changes in bodily appearance can result in low self-esteem and poor self-concept among women, leading to stress, anxiety, and other related disorders that impact the overall quality of life.
For some individuals, a change in appearance can lead to a negative body image and various psychosocial problems . Negative body image among breast cancer survivors includes dissatisfaction with appearance, perceived loss of femininity and body integrity, reluctance to look at one’s self-consciousness about appearance, and dissatisfaction with surgical scars.
Body image has been defined in three constructs among breast cancer survivors: affective feelings (feeling feminine and attractive), behavioural changes (avoiding people because of one’s appearance), and cognitive changes (satisfaction with appearance or with a scar). Body image can also be defined by thoughts, feelings, and perceptions about the body and its functions.
Changes in body image in patients with breast cancer can occur due to chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery. Chemotherapy can cause reversible hair loss, radiotherapy can damage the body tissues, and surgery may lead to more immediate effects with partial or complete removal of the breast.
Studies have reported the prevalence of body image disturbances to range from 31% to 67%. Body image disturbance can lead to psychological distress and is associated with depression and anxiety.
Breast reconstruction will help to add to the psychological support in terms of body image and reduce the psychosocial aspect associated with the same.
After the removal of breast, the psychosocial impact that is created seems to be corrected .
Today, breast reconstruction has improved, and with the advent of breast implants, it has been increasingly possible to provide the image makeover, thereby reducing the psychological impact. Additionally, the procedure has very few complications and has no negative effects on one’s health.
With inputs from Dr Pritam Kataria, Consultant, Medical Oncology, Sir H.N. Reliance Foundation Hospital.
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