Illness and treatment can cause loss of sexual performance, which is very taxing on the sufferer. Menopause is a period when feelings of physical unattractiveness are particularly heightened, and breast cancer adds to this feeling. After treatment, most patients find it difficult to return to their former activities, social roles and the same level of activity they had before the disease. This is due to the feeling that the disease has not been cured, that they are still ill, even though the cancer has in fact been cured.

Women are afraid to return to working life because they fear rejection from colleagues or their employer. Another non-biological factor that further aggravates the psychological state of the patient is the independence of the adult children. This reinforces the feeling of loneliness; such a woman feels that she is no longer needed.

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Factors that can definitely improve the psychological state of the patient and facilitate recovery are life, economic and psychological stability, having a family, a partner, often children who have already grown up. This is known as a support network, which provides a sense of security and allows the patient to return to family, social and professional roles.

It should be borne in mind that the menopause is a difficult period in a woman's life, and cancer adds to a woman's poor mental and physical state. The patient should not be left alone with her own problems during this period, but should receive a lot of support, help and patience, both from family and doctors. Consultation with both a doctor and a psychologist is essential.