{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,5]],"date-time":"2026-10-05T13:00:39Z","timestamp":1791205239693,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,27]],"date-time":"2026-01-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1769472000000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":26,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Shanxi Bethune Hospital","award":["2024YH08"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2024YH08"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["BMJ Open"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,24]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,1]]},"abstract":"\n Objectives<\/jats:title>\n To explore how young and middle-aged Chinese women with breast cancer perceive and emotionally respond to changes in their physical appearance and function during treatment and social interactions.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Design<\/jats:title>\n A descriptive phenomenological qualitative study using Colaizzi\u2019s seven-step analysis method.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Setting<\/jats:title>\n Breast surgery departments of two tertiary hospitals in North and Central China.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Participants<\/jats:title>\n This study included a purposive sample of 18 young and middle-aged women (18\u201359 years old) with pathologically confirmed breast cancer who had received a mastectomy and obtained a score \u226510 on the Body Image Scale.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Data collection and analysis<\/jats:title>\n In-depth, semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted from January to October 2024 to collect data. The data were analysed using Colaizzi\u2019s phenomenological analysis method to identify and interpret the main themes representing participants\u2019 lived experiences.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n Four main themes and 11 sub-themes were identified. Theme 1, \u2018Perceived social group pressure\u2019, included family burdens, peer influence and public scrutiny. Theme 2, \u2018Emotional reactions to social pressure\u2019, covered strong desire to survive, ambivalence towards visits and existential confusion. Theme 3, \u2018Perception of physical changes\u2019, involved feelings of physical weakness, hair loss and body shame, weight and self-image bias. In Theme 4, \u2018Coping and Meaning Reconstruction\u2019, there were social withdrawal and the experience of positive psychological growth after encountering adversity.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n The research describes the psychological and social pressures breast cancer patients and survivors experience during treatment and gives recommendations to garner understanding and support for this patient group concerning body image disturbance.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Trial registration<\/jats:title>\n Not applicable.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2025-100781","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,27]],"date-time":"2026-01-27T13:10:44Z","timestamp":1769519444000},"page":"e100781","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Qualitative study on body image disturbance in young and middle-aged women with breast cancer in China"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1565-7107","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hulin","family":"Liu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Breast Surgery Department, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Linying","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Jinzhong College of Health, Jinzhong, Shanxi, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jinnan","family":"Gao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Breast Surgery Department, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Qian","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xiaojun","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Breast Surgery Department, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yan","family":"Gao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Breast Surgery Department, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jun","family":"Guo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Breast Surgery Department, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026012705101844000_16.1.e100781.1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.7717\/peerj.13528","article-title":"Clinical characteristics and prognostic analysis of multiple primary malignant neoplasms in female patients with breast cancer or genitalia malignancies","volume":"10","author":"Xiao","year":"2022","journal-title":"PeerJ"},{"key":"2026012705101844000_16.1.e100781.2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/cncr.33846"},{"key":"2026012705101844000_16.1.e100781.3","article-title":"Unveiling the Unseen Struggles: A 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Artificial intelligence in healthcare practice: how to tackle the \u201chuman\u201d challenge. In: In Handbook of artificial intelligence in healthcare: vol 2: practicalities and prospects. 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