[The impact of illness on the emotional life of women united in "the amazons" clubs after breast cancer surgery].

INTRODUCTION Breast cancer is the most frequent malignant tumor diagnosed among women in Poland and in the world. Among the consequences of the disease are disorders in the woman's physical, mental, and social sphere of functioning. MATERIAL AND METHODS We enrolled 102 women aged 29-56 years from three Amazons Clubs (mastectomy support groups) in Bydgoszcz, Koszalin, and Białogard. A questionnaire was prepared addressing demographics and the emotional state of women. RESULTS Most of the women participating in our study completed university education, had a white-collar job, and resided in a city. The disease completely changed the life of 24 women (23%) and some aspects of life of 59 women (58%). The disease inflicted changes in the life of 62 (61%) women, with 32 women (31%) continuously worrying about their future. Sadness and fear were frequent reactions to the diagnosis in 42 women (45%) but only 7 women (7%) felt depressed or indifferent to the diagnosis. 42 women (46%) presented a very optimistic attitude to the disease and 36 women (39%) were determined to combat the disease. The disease had no influence on the life of 19 women (19%). The most frequent state after treatment was impatience, feeling of kindness, and irritability (32%). CONCLUSIONS The disease had a negative influence on the emotional state of women after mastectomy. An optimistic attitude was observed in almost half of the women. Married women and women living in complete families were quicker in accepting changes which occurred in their life.