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Lauren Edwards

ENG 1201

Professor Flores

18 March 2022

Literature Review

Breast Cancer is a disease that hundreds of thousands of women are diagnosed with each

year. Not only does the disease take a toll on your physical health, but your mental health as

well. This is why I decided to research how breast cancer affects women physically and

mentally.

Breast cancer has always been a serious concern which is why it is so widely talked

about. Breast cancer occurs when there is an excess number of cells in the breast tissue that cause

a tumor. (Susan G. Komen). It can come in a number of different stages but generally gets

treated in a few of the same ways. Most commonly women receive surgeries, radiation and

chemotherapy. Radiation and chemotherapy can often make you very sick before making you

feel better. Just a few of the short-term side effects are nausea, vomiting, hair loss, and muscle

pain. (Susan G. Komen). In the article, “I survived Breast Cancer and should be thriving. But it’s

not that simple” by Stephanie Gilman, she explained battle with the disease as, “’… toxic

treatments and painful surgeries”’ as well as, “’… screamed in pain from the various tortures”’.

(Gilman). There are many other side effects that come with this disease.

One side effect that is not spoken about as often is the problems with mental health that

women struggle with. Stephanie Gilman describes her experience after cancer as, “… a major
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depressive episode”. (Gilman). Many other women have also experienced depression while

fighting breast cancer or after beating it. Mental illness comes with many aspects of breast

cancer.

Mainly, women struggle with depression and anxiety when battling breast cancer. Often,

they get anxiety when first diagnosed and then it lingers even after they overcome the disease

because there is a fear of it coming back. Depression also comes while battling the disease as

well as after overcoming it as well. Stephanie Gilman described her story with depression by

explaining she did not feel joy after having her first child. “The guilt returned as I thought about

the many women I knew or had known who would have given anything to be able to have a child

or to be alive to watch them grow.” (Gilman). In an experiment done by Neomi Vin-Raviv, Tomi

F. Akinyemiju, Sandro Galea and Dana H. Bovbjerg, they mention, “studies have found that

35%-38% of all breast cancer patients experience significant emotional distress, anxiety, and/or

depression following their diagnosis” (Depression and Anxiety Disorders Among Hospitalized

Women with Breast Cancer).

While most of the anxiety comes during the diagnosis, much of the depression comes after

beating the disease itself. In the news article, “Sunderland mum diagnosed with breast cancer

after losing her own mother to the same condition becomes award-winning fundraiser”, Debbie

Wrathmall states, “’Once the chemo ended, things didn’t improve for me, and I struggled

mentally and felt totally alone despite having incredibly supportive friends and family”’.

(Vlope). It often feels as if you are the only one going through this issue and no one else knows

how you are feeling. With the excitement of ending chemotherapy or beating breast cancer,

people are not as concerned with mental health. The joy overcomes the fear and anxiety.
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Although there are many people who feel alone, some people also feel a sense of

belonging and part of a team. Breastcancer.org states, “many people in treatment or finished with

treatment say that the experience made them stronger and helped them to become closer to their

families and friends and learn more about themselves.” (breastcancer.org). With the help of

trained medical professionals, friends, and family, many women find the help they need to

overcome the physical and mental side effects from breast cancer.

It is important to remember it is not always as joyful as it seems when a woman beats

breast cancer. Breast cancer can be a scary thought and it comes with many different side effects

other than the disease itself taking over your body. It can cause physical effects such as

insomnia, numbness or infections, as well as mental effects such as anxiety and depression.
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Works Cited

“Breast Cancer Information.” Susan G. Komen®, 9 Dec. 2021, https://www.komen.org/breast-

cancer/. Accessed 18 March 2022.

Gilman, Stephanie. "I survived breast cancer and should be thriving. But it's not so

simple." Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2021, p. NA. Gale In Context: Opposing

Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A679497058/OVIC?u=dayt30401&sid=bookmark-

OVIC&xid=2f33277d. Accessed 18 Mar. 2022.

“Managing Breast Cancer Fears.” Managing Breast Cancer Fears, 22 Feb. 2022,

https://www.breastcancer.org/managing-life/fears. Accessed 18 March 2022.

“Sunderland Mum Diagnosed with Breast Cancer after Losing Her Own Mother to the Same

Condition Becomes Award-Winning Fundraiser; A Sunderland Mum Has Channeled Her

Experiences with Chemotherapy and Depression in to Becoming an Award-Winning

Fundraiser after Battling Breast Cancer.” Sunderland Echo Online, 3 Feb.

2022. EBSCOhost, https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=edsgin&AN=edsgcl.691549028&site=eds-live. Accessed 18 March

2022.

Vin-Raviv, Neomi, et al. "Depression and Anxiety Disorders among Hospitalized Women with

Breast Cancer." PLoS ONE, vol. 10, no. 6, 2 June 2015. Gale In Context: Opposing

Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A426181869/OVIC?u=dayt30401&sid=bookmark-

OVIC&xid=01b41fe8. Accessed 18 Mar. 2022.