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Cancer and body image: identity, representation, symbolism Volume 85, issue 3, mars 2009

Author
Psychiatre, équipe de psycho-oncologie, Centre Oscar-Lambret, 59020 Lille

Body image disorders induced by cancer and its mutilated treatment will lead to a physical and narcissistic wound among patients. This raises the question of a metamorphosis of their bodily and psychological identity. The bodily mutilation symbolizes all the physical and psychological patient’s suffering and is linked with various issues: death, castration, reparation, specular image. For caregivers, these disorders send back to phenomena in mirror under tightened by mechanisms of projection and identification. Body image disorders care is a priority in terms of quality of life and care satisfaction for patients.