Comparison of Psychological Status after Breast Conservation Surgery with Radical Modified Mastectomy in Women with Breast Cancer Referred to Hospitals in Tabriz

The purpose of this study is to both evaluate and compare the psychological status of the patients undergone the breast conservation surgery in comparison with those patients who have undergone mastectomy. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with the participation of ۲۲۰ patients after breast surgery (two groups of the modified radical mastectomy (i.e., the first group) including ۱۴۰ people and the breast conservation surgery group (i.e., the second group)) in Tabriz University of Medical Sciences to compare their psychological status. They were assessed using SCL-۹۰-R ۱ and the Zong Depression Self-Assessment Scale or ۲ (ZDS) and compared, as well. In the case of ZDS results, the results are similar to the SCL-۹۰-R. Thus, immediately after surgery and at discharge time from the hospital, depression scores were not significantly different between both groups. However, in the evaluation after ۶ months, the group with breast protection surgery was significantly different from the mastectomy group and its depression scores were lower, while the decrease in the scores of this group was significant compared with the mastectomy group during six months. To sum up, the results of the present study suggest that the psychological benefits of breast maintenance surgery in the early stages of treatment are due to the patient’s stress and anxiety about choosing a treatment that is not at least currently the gold standard one for breast cancer.