[Stress and coping in perioperative period of breast cancer]

This study is a literature review with the objective to reflect about stress and coping in the perioperative period of breast cancer. The study was performed based on a national online database including studies published from 1996 to 2006. The search found 63 articles, 17 of which were selected. The selected articles were read, analyzed and grouped into thematic categories: (1) Breast cancer as a stressor and impact on the diagnosis; (2) Stress and breast cancer treatment; (3) Coping and breast cancer; (4) The nurse as a cooperator in the coping process. This study found that national literature about breast cancer is substantial, but there few studies emphasize stress and cancer as a process lived by patients. Therefore, further studies should be performed regarding the stressors experienced by Brazilian women with breast cancer and the coping strategies they use.