ABSTRACT

The duty of the family is to help family members on structuring and maintaining the balance of life.Bath states that Lewis underlines the fact that the breast cancer should be defined as a disease of the family because the fear and anxiety the patient experiences is shared by the whole family and affects the husband and children in a negative way (2000) It is observed that the first degree relatives of the breast cancer patients share the experiences and worries of the patient and see themselves under risk. It should be taken in consideration that the changes in the body image, self isteem and emotional state of the patient may cause changes in the roles of the individuals in the family. The members of the family experience anxiety about the surgery, anesthesia, the results and the complications that might be faced after the surgery and possible economical difficulties.

The families of the patients state that the nurses are very helpful when they are willing to answer their questions , talk about the condition of their patient and try to help them in solving the possible emotional difficulties. Considering that informing the patients and the family is the most important duty of the nurses, it’s easy to tell that they are the biggest help for the family in crisis.