ABSTRACT
Comprehensive care of the breast cancer patient necessarily includes addressing the psychosocial issues that affect the larger context of her life. Although other members of the breast care team may address these concerns, it is the role of the social worker to focus primarily on the issues of psychosocial adjustment, and to intervene therapeutically with the patient. It is important for the members of the treatment team to be aware of the sequence and timing of this adjustment process, as the patient’s needs will vary during the process. When the suspicious lump is found to be cancer, the patient’s fears are confirmed, and she must begin to absorb the implications of her diagnosis. After the operation, she has completed what is perhaps the most significant change that she will undergo. What most patients describe concerning adjuvant treatment is that they have an ongoing, unavoidable reminder of their disease.
