Women's body image after mastectomy: a photovoice study

Breast cancer is defined as a severe chronic disease commonly seen in women. In addition to the anxiety and fear of cancer, breast cancer can lead to the loss of an essential symbolic image for women. This study aims to reveal the emotional experiences of women who have undergone mastectomy surgery during and after the disease process and to evaluate the impact of mastectomy on body image using the photovoice method.

The research group consists of fifteen women patients who underwent mastectomy and received treatment for breast cancer in the chemotherapy unit of a hospital in eastern Turkey between 2022 and 2023. Data were collected through photographs and semi-structured interviews.

The psychological, emotional, physical, and social problems of individuals who have undergone mastectomy were analyzed along with their photographs and explanations. Fifteen women aged between 45 and 65 who had undergone mastectomy surgery participated in this study, resulting in 25 photographs depicting their experiences. Of these, 12 photographs were analyzed in stages, considering comment richness and maximum diversity. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. As a result of the analyses, three main themes are isolation and feelings of inability to cope, the importance of psychosocial support and religious beliefs, and perceptions regarding external appearance: loss and grief, and eight sub-themes under these main themes.

The analyses conducted have shown that the loss of an important organ representing femininity due to mastectomy surgery has a significant impact on body image and consequently brings about many psychosocial problems.