Uneasiness Body Image and Psychological Distress in Women with Breast Cancer in Chemotherapy Treatment

Breast cancer treatment alters body image and causes psychosocial repercussions, with a changing in self-perception. The objectives of this research were to assess distress level and body image uneasiness, in patients with breast cancer, undergoing chemotherapy treatment. Furthermore, differences between these variables in young and adult women were evaluated. In this retrospective study, we enrolled 100 women patients (aged 25 to 75), with breast cancer diagnosis, who have performed surgery and undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy. The search tools used were: Distress Thermometer (DT), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Body Uneasiness Test (BUT). The data were obtained through descriptive and correlational analysis using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software. A level of Distress above cut-off value was found (6.46). Within body image dimensions, the highest average score was found for concerns for body image (16.44). Also, high scores were found in conduct of avoidance, depersonalization, weight phobia and compulsive controls to own image. Younger women not showed higher average scores than adult women in all areas analyzed. Body image is a fundamental psychosocial issue; impact of body changes is a painful and often difficult to manage aspect not only in young women but also in adult women.