A Scar for Life: Male Breast Cancer and the Experience of the Post-Surgical Body

The most common surgical treatment for male breast cancer (MBC) is mastectomy. As breast reconstruction surgery is uncommon, men are thus left without a nipple and areola, with a surgical scar and chest asymmetry. MBC is an understudied field, with little known about how men experience their postsurgical bodies. The present study qualitatively explores the ways Israeli men perceive, feel, and manage their bodies postbreast cancer surgery. It draws on theories of cognitive–behavioral body image, self-discrepancy, and gender role strain theory, and takes into consideration the Israeli sociocultural context of the masculine body. We conducted in-depth interviews with 16 men, ages 25–78 who were diagnosed with MBC about their illness experience. Thematic content analysis explored participants’ postsurgical bodily experience and yielded four themes: (a) A damaged body appearance; (b) Challenging masculinity; (c) Eyes watching: Being under observation by self and others; and (d) Managing body appearance. Findings revealed the prominent place of the postsurgical appearance for men. Specifically, men’s encounter with their operated-on breast and their feeling of being stared at triggered emotional difficulties related to a damaged body image, which was managed using different concealment practices. The sociocultural context of the masculine body is discussed in relation to the discrepancy found between the ideal Israeli masculine body and participants’ perceptions of their actual appearance.