Cawley M, Kostic J, Cappello C
Booth Memorial Medical Center, Flushing, New York.
Cancer Nurs. 1990 Apr;13(2):90-4.
Recent advances in the treatment of early stage breast cancer give women a choice of treatments. Prospective and retrospective studies demonstrate the comparable efficacy of treatment with a modified radical mastectomy and treatment with conservative surgery and primary radiation. While the number of women with early stage breast cancer choosing the latter treatment continues to increase, there is a paucity of information in the nursing literature assessing the informational and psychosocial needs of this group. This article reports the results of a questionnaire assessing the informational and psychosocial needs of patients choosing breast conservation surgery, and the future implications of these results for the nursing profession.
