A reconstrução da autoestima de pacientes com câncer de mama através do design estratégico

Abstract

Breast cancer is the second most common type of oncological disease in Brazil, only staying behind skin cancer, and is also the one that causes the most cancer deaths in women (INCA, 2023). Many women with early-stage breast cancer may undergo breast-conserving surgery or a mastectomy to remove the tumor1. The main advantage of the conservative surgery is that it keeps most of the breast, but in some cases, due to the advancement of the tumor, it is necessary to have a mastectomy, with the complete removal of the breast. Such surgery has major impacts on the patient's life, and one of the main ones is the relation with their own image and feminine aspects, as the breast is an organ that "is related to femininity, pleasure, sensuality, gender difference, sexuality, in addition to being intensely linked to motherhood, as it is a source of food for the baby". (RAMOS; LUSTOSA, 2009, pg.86). Given this reality, it is initially observed that one of the existent services for assisting these women who are dealing with this loss is implemented through a tattoo technique, the "areola reconstruction tattoo", a type of tattoo that “paints” the breast of the patient to realistically reproduce the areola after mastectomy surgery to remove the cancer. The procedure serves as a solution to recover the self-esteem of women around the world. Taking this service as a reference, which can stimulate and transform women who go through this situation, it is intended to use the strategic design methodology to assist in the design of a product-service system, developed to facilitate access for those oncology patients to different professionals and/or services, aiming to rebuild their self-esteem.