Psychological Effects of Breast-Conserving Cancer Treatment and Mastectomy

Patients in the early stages of breast cancer were studied one year after treatment to ascertain the psychological effects of mastectomy and a breast-conserving alternative, lumpectomy plus radiation therapy. Patients who had had a mastectomy felt less attractive, less sexually desirable, and more ashamed of their breasts. They also experienced less enjoyment in their sexual relationships than they had before treatment. Patients who had radiation therapy experienced no changes in these areas. For these reasons, half of the mastectomy patients regretted not having chosen the breast-conserving alternative.