Body image (BI) and coping strategies (CS): Analysis of medical and surgical characteristics in women diagnosed with breast cancer

From a non-experimental transverse design, we sought to identify the possible relationship between RI and CS, and their differences according to surgical-medical variables (surgical intervention, time of diagnosis and stage of cancer). Thirty-seven women diagnosed with breast cancer from all stages participated. The Stress Coping Questionnaire for Oncological Patients (CAEPO), the Body Image Scale (BIS) and an Ad-hoc questionnaire were used. No relationship was found between BI and CS, and these did not vary according to the surgical procedure (radical mastectomy and conservative surgery), the time of diagnosis in years (less than 1, between 1 and 3, between 3 and 5, and more of 5), or the stage (0 or in situ, I, II, III and IV); however, the patients who did not receive surgical intervention showed greater deterioration of their BI than those who did.