Please note: All sources must be current (published within the past 5 years). Li
ID: 108300 • Letter: P
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Please note: All sources must be current (published within the past 5 years). List 8 peer-reviewed professional journals on "The impact of breast cancer on sexuality, body image, and intimate relationships” using complete APA-style citations Please note: All sources must be current (published within the past 5 years). List 8 peer-reviewed professional journals on "The impact of breast cancer on sexuality, body image, and intimate relationships” using complete APA-style citations Please note: All sources must be current (published within the past 5 years). List 8 peer-reviewed professional journals on "The impact of breast cancer on sexuality, body image, and intimate relationships” using complete APA-style citationsExplanation / Answer
Learning to be relaxed with your body during and after breast cancer treatment is a individual journey, one that is different for every woman. Evidence and support can help you cope with these variations over time. Some changes may be short term, such as hair loss. But even short-term changes can have a profound effect on how a woman feels about herself. A number of options are available to help you cope with hair loss, including wigs, hats, scarves, and other accessories.
Alternatively, some women choose to use their baldness as a way to identify themselves as breast cancer survivors. Other changes are more permanent, like the loss of part or all of a breast (or breasts) after surgery. Some women choose to have reconstructive surgery to rebuild the breast mound. If you decide not to have breast reconstruction, you can decide whether to wear a breast form or prosthesis or not. Some studies suggest that younger women, who represent about 1 out of 4 breast cancer survivors, tend to have more problems adjusting to the stresses of breast cancer and its treatment.
It can feel socially isolating. Younger women may also be more affected by issues of sexuality or fertility. If you are having trouble adjusting after a breast cancer diagnosis, look for a counselor or a support group directed at younger breast cancer survivors. For women, breast cancer remains a common and dreaded experience. It is normal for a diagnosis of breast cancer to evoke grief, anger, and intense fear. Most women, however, face this crisis and master it without developing major psychiatric disorders or severe sexual dysfunction.
The options of breast conservation and reconstruction give women a new sense of control over their treatment and are quite successful in helping women feel comfortable with their bodies again. The effectiveness of breast conservation and reconstruction in preventing or ameliorating sexual problems after breast cancer diagnosis is less clear, however. Any impact these options have on sexuality is subtle and may relate more to a woman's feelings of being desirable than to how often she has sex, her lovemaking practices, or how much she enjoys sex.
We need more information on how chemotherapy and hormonal therapy affect women's sex lives. As clinicians, we should pay more attention to our patients' complaints of vaginal pain, dryness, and overall loss of sexual desire during systemic treatment. Practical advice on lovemaking techniques and a clinician's open attitude towards discussing sexual issues can prevent a great deal of anxiety and sadness as women with breast cancer search for ways to keep their sex lives satisfying.
Breast cancer treatment causes several physical changes that may lead to body image concerns. Surgical scars may be visible reminders of what you have been through and cause you to worry about your attractiveness. You may feel less sensation in your breast area as a result of scarring, although some women report more erotic sensitivity at breast scar sites. Weight changes from chemotherapy and other medicines may cause you to feel uncomfortable in clothing that no longer fits. You may have low energy, feel discouraged about losing or gaining weight and become self-critical about your body shape.
Surgery may take a part of a breast, or can remove the entire breast. If one or both of your breasts are removed, you may choose to have your breast(s) rebuilt through reconstructive surgery. Breast cancer remains the most feared disease of all women. There are perhaps many reasons for this however a compelling one is the fact that sexuality and body image are known to be psychologically connected to women’s breasts. Altering them by the required surgical interventions needed to treat breast cancer can cause tremendous anxiety and concern.
It is of importance to note as well, that today most women diagnosed with breast cancer are candidates for breast conserving surgery, enabling them to save their breast. Those needing mastectomy or choosing it as their surgical preference are able to receive reconstruction at the same time and have it covered by their health insurance. The research results of various studies focusing on sexuality have verified that sexual dysfunction is not limited to the short term survivorship phase but continues onward, long after treatment has been completed. Contributing symptoms were vaginal dryness, night sweats, hot flashes, depression, lack of desire, inability to have an orgasm, and body image issues.
References:
Amir H. Pakpour, Isa Mohammadi Zeidi, Masoumeh Ziaeiha, Andrea Burri, Cross-Cultural Adaptation of the Female Genital Self-Image Scale (FGSIS) in Iranian Female College Students, The Journal of Sex Research, 2014, 51, 6, 646.
Bridget Taylor, Does the Caring Role Preclude Sexuality and Intimacy in Coupled Relationships?, Sexuality and Disability, 2015, 33, 3, 365.
Craig D. Murray, Alexandra Turner, Claire Rehan, Tibor Kovacs, Satisfaction following immediate breast reconstruction: Experiences in the early post-operative stage, British Journal of Health Psychology, 2015, 20, 3, 579.
Hulya Guveli, Murat Emin Guveli, Fatma Sen, Serap Oflaz, Necla Gurdal, Makbule Tambas, Seden Kucucuk, Adnan Aydner, Mine Ozkan, Effect of the childhood trauma on the adjustment to cancer in the patients with breast cancer, Breast Cancer, 2016.
M. Elise Radina, Mei R. Fu, Lori Horstman, Yang Kang, Breast cancer-related lymphedema and sexual experiences: a mixed-method comparison study, Psycho-Oncology, 2015, 24, 12, 1655.
Z. E. Winters, V. Balta, H. J. Thomson, Y. Brandberg, A. Oberguggenberger, Y. Sinove, D. Unukovych, M. Nava, K. Sandelin, H. Johansson, Phase III development of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire module for women undergoing breast reconstruction, British Journal of Surgery, 2014, 101, 4, 371.
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