Children, especially, find that their usual roles no longer are defined clearly. Parents may not have the emotional energy to provide the usual support, love and authority. Teenagers can feel torn between expressing independence and a need to remain close to their mother who has breast cancer.

Some women worry about disfigurement as a potential cause of sexual problems. You may need to deal not only with discomfort or disability but also with how this change in your body affects your feelings about yourself. And you will need to find ways to communicate these feelings to your partner.