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(11) Life after Breast Cancer

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Sex After Mastectomy, A Survivor's Story

LABC11

Is sexual functioning different for those who have had a mastectomy or lumpectomy?

Most women with breast cancer will require some form of surgery (e.g., a mastectomy or a lumpectomy).

Often, the oncological surgeon will discuss which option will offer the best chance for cure; however, you might worry about how the operative procedures may change the way your body looks. Health literature does not support the fact that women who undergo a complete mastectomy do better or worse than those who have breast-conservation surgery.

After an adequate period of recovery, the two groups did not differ with respect to sexual satisfaction, orgasm, and sexual frequency. In fact, many women enjoyed the postoperative sexual response; however, women who had total breast tissue removed had less breast caressing.

A mastectomy or other operative changes in your breasts may affect your self-esteem and influence how you view yourself. With extensive surgical resection and radical surgery and surgical scarring, some women shift their perceptions of their bodies and femininity.

Terms:

Mastectomy - The removal of the breast.

Lumpectomy - Removal of a small amount of tissue of the breast including the abnormal cancerous cells

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