It was aimed to understand the meaning of family care offered to mastectomized women. This is a qualitative study that used as theoretical reference the symbolic and methodological Interactionism and the Grounded Theory. 11 relatives were interviewed between July and August 2008. The results showed the following phenomena: facing family difficulty to take care, facing the diagnosis of breast cancer in the family and noticing the family care after surgery. It was concluded that, in spite of participants valuing family care, some felt unprepared to effectively perform it. A consistent family relationship is considered a fundamental strategy for the rehabilitation of mastectomized women.
Mastectomy; Family Relations; Nursing Care
