BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL CHANGES IN POST-TREATMENT PERIOD OF BREAST CANCER

Currently, breast cancer survival rates have been increasing. However, breast cancer survival affects individuals either positively or negatively, has physical, psychological and social dimensions, and the problems experienced are important determinants of the decline in quality of life. At this point, improvement of quality of life requires effective management and a holistic approach to the problems experienced. It is important for healthcare professionals to explain the positive and negative changes occurring during the post-treatment period when assessing the post-treatment psychosocial needs of breast cancer survivors with a holistic approach and planning effective interventions. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to explain the positive and negative effects experienced by breast cancer survivors during the post-treatment period in accordance with the relevant literature. The investigation revealed that breast cancer survivors experienced many biopsychosocial problems during the post-treatment period and that the studies in the relevant literature mostly focused on negative physical changes. It is recommended that health personnel should be aware of the needs of breast cancer survivors and should deal with these people with a holistic perspective, and that several more studies investigating the positive and negative changes experienced during this period should be carried out.