Kvinnans upplevelse från bröstcancerdiagnos till mastektomi - med fokus på coping och självbild : en allmän litteraturstudie

Sammanfattning: Abstract Aim: The aim of this study was to describe which coping strategies women use when they have been diagnosed with breast cancer. In addition, the purpose was to describe how woman’s self-image changes after a mastectomy. Method: A literature review study has been carried out with a descriptive design. The result of the study included 16 articles which were found in the databases: Cinahl, PubMed, PsycInfo and through manual search. Result: The result showed that the most common coping strategies, women diagnosed with breast cancer, used was humor/optimism, spirituality, denial, activity, acceptance and support from people close to them, and how they applied in their everyday lives. It became also clear that how the women perceived themselves changed after the mastectomy. The self-image changed immensely seen from a sexual and emotional perspective. Conclusion: Every individuals experience is unique and everyone cope their situation differently. Therefore, it is crucial that women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and undergone a mastectomy is met with individual treatment.