ABSTRACT
Almost every woman with breast cancer will be likely to struggle to feel good about herself, at some stage, after this diagnosis. These feelings are often much more far-reaching than negative thoughts and feelings about our physical appearance alone. Treatment for breast cancer is inevitably invasive and leaves scars, often both physical and mental ones. It is easy for us to feel very vulnerable and exposed during treatment, and to remain so afterwards. Having breast cancer is punishment enough, and the reality is that despite the many advances there have been in our understanding of what causes breast cancer to develop and in ways to manage the disease, as yet no one knows with absolute certainty what causes breast cancer.
