The emotions experienced by women undergoing mastectomy over the course of the disease and treatment: a qualitative study

Obtaining firsthand insight into breast cancer facilitates a detailed understanding of women with breast cancer' emotional experiences, thereby promotes holistic cancer care. This study aimed to identify the emotions experienced by women undergoing mastectomy during the disease and treatment process.

This qualitative study, based on a descriptive phenomenological design, was conducted using semi-structured interviews to explore the emotions of women who had undergone mastectomy during the diagnosis and treatment stages. Twenty-nine breast cancer women with breast cancer aged 27-68 who had undergone mastectomy participated in the study, which was carried out in the general surgery clinic of a university hospital. The data obtained from the interviews were subjected to thematic analysis.

It was found that women undergoing mastectomy experience a wide range of emotions at all stages of breast cancer and develop corresponding coping strategies. Five themes emerged from the analysis: emotions related to diagnosis, emotions related to treatment, future-oriented emotions, coping strategies, and family and social relationships. Unlike the findings reported in the literature, this study revealed that women often expressed reactions such as "wanting to die" or "not feeling anything" during the diagnosis process. In terms of family relationships, diverse factors such as divorce, spousal psychological violence, spousal support, and physical violence were noted.

Having breast cancer triggers profound emotional fluctuations in women, such as fear, uncertainty, burnout, and disturbances in self-perception. While hope and optimism for the future are fueled by positive emotions such as social support and a desire to see children happy, negative experiences such as cancer stigma and psychological violence increase the emotional burden. Supportive care teams are recommended to enhance psychosocial support services, promote the emotional well-being of women after mastectomy, strengthen family and social participation, develop individualized care plans, and implement holistic approaches through team-based care.