Feelings and experiences in women with breast cancer's life

Abstract

Identifying feelings and experiences related to breast cancer becomes important to enable those who are part of a woman's social circle to grasp this stage of her life. For this study, a literature review was carried out in order to identify what are the most common thoughts and feelings women experience after a breast cancer diagnosis. The review was conducted through bibliographical research in LILACS and MEDLINE databases using the key words breast, cancer, feeling, female, and representation. Contents related to cancer were searched, such as the meaning of the disease and its implication to the woman's emotional and social life. The conclusion was that experiences related to breast cancer have an individual scope, and that their representations are different for each woman.