Research shows that changes to the body caused by metastatic cancer or treatments for metastatic cancer can affect a person’s body image. Body image is how people think and feel about their bodies, and body image affects quality of life by influencing self-esteem, emotional intimacy, sexual expression and maybe even cancer-related symptoms like pain.
Below you will find a collection of links related to body image and metastatic breast cancer, including image galleries, short video-interviews, and a journal article about the relationship between body image and symptom management.
- Pioneers in Flat Advocacy: Jersi Baker Not Putting On A Shirt interviews Jersi–a woman who explanted (removed breast implants) after receiving an MBC diagnosis.
- But You Don’t Look Sick Allison discusses “looking well”, missing her breasts and other aspects of being in treatment for stage IV breast cancer.
- Screening for Body Image Dissatisfaction in Patients with Advanced Cancer A research article on body image in people with advanced cancers.
Photo Galleries
- The Naked Truth Project For The Breast of Us put together this collection of photographs with quotes by women of color with MBC, early-stage disease and previvors.
- The Male Breast Cancer Coalition Contains images of men who have been treated for all stages of breast cancer.
- #ThisIsMBC Serenity Project A gallery of underwater photographs of women and men with MBC taken by the photographers Keith and Ren Dixon.
Last Modified on February 3, 2021