Body image after surgery for breast cancer in Japan; Research trends and future issues

---

Mihoko Harada

Kansai university of Nursing and Health Sciences, Japan

: J Nurs Patient Care

Abstract

---

Purpose: To clarify the global research trends and future directions on the body image after surgery for breast cancer in Japan. Methods: Using Igaku Chuo Zasshi web version, article published since 1999 were examined. Results: Thirty-three studies were included in the analysis. The research contents are “Research to explore the relationship between body image and physical activity, decision-making, emotions, etc.”, “Intervention research such as postoperative breast correction care, information provision, and direct viewing”, “Conceptual analysis of body image”. “Case studies” and “Body image education for nurses”. In addition, nine studies resulted in body image being treated as an independent variable. No studies of breast reconstruction were found. Discussion: Surgical therapy for breast cancer has changed with the times. Furthermore, in 2002, “breast conserving” was replaced by standard surgery. Body image concerns have always been associated with breast surgical therapy. After this, breast reconstruction surgery was introduced. In 2013, implant breast reconstruction became covered by insurance. Outpatient services at hospitals include cover make-up and appearance care services. Around 2017, many underwear manufacturers developed underwear to be worn after breast cancer surgery or breast reconstruction surgery. In Japan, nurses have conducted various intervention studies on changes in body image that occur after surgical therapy. In addition, appearance care guidelines were published in 2016, and it seems that the difficulty of intervening in body image, which nurses have felt so far, has increased through collaboration with other occupations. However, unlike previous studies in Europe and the United States, no studies on body image after breast reconstruction have been found in Japan. A future task is to verify the body image and appearance care after breast reconstruction surgery.

Biography

---

Mihoko Harada has completed her PhD at Yamagichi Prefectural University. She is the Associate Professor of Kansai Universuty of Nursing and Health Sciences. She studied about Self-concept and ather.