Women at high risk of getting breast cancer who undergo preventive double mastectomies suffer minimal psychological and physical distress as a result, says a new study.

Two-thirds of the 60 women surveyed said the surgery had no impact on their sexual functioning. Almost half (48.8 percent) reported no change in self-image, while 28.3 percent reported an improved self-image after surgery. The findings were published in the journal Psycho-Oncology.

"Overall, the women who decided to have the surgery are very happy with their decision and it didn't seem to affect them psychologically," says Professor Kelly Metcalfe of the University of Toronto Faculty of Nursing. "To know she's not going to be horribly depressed or suffer body-image problems after surgery is very encouraging to her."

Metcalfe and her research team studied 120 women across Ontario who had undergone double mastectomies between 1991 and 2000. Using questionnaires, they surveyed the women on issues such as their satisfaction with the surgical experience and their psychological state.

The next step, says Metcalfe, is to determine if there is a significant difference between the women who elect to have double mastectomies and those who choose not to undergo surgery.

SOURCES:
Psycho-Oncology, January 2004
University of Toronto (http://www.utoronto.ca)