Research was carried out to explore coping strategies in cancer patients. In all, 70 women with breast cancer were studied: 35 of them had visible postsurgery deformity, and 35 did not have visible postsurgery deformity. The purpose of the research was to uncover their preferences for using various strategies and resources to cope with their illness. The results showed that both groups of women had a special set of strategies for coping with stress. The women with visible postsurgery deformity made significantly less use of resources for coping with their illness than did the subgroup of women without visible postsurgery deformity.

Objective. The study of coping behavior of patients with breast cancer (I, II stages) in the postoperative period with «externally visible postoperative defect». Materials and methods. We studied the psychological characteristics of 35 patients with breast cancer (I, II stage), who underwent radical mastectomy, women were characterized in the postoperative period as «externally visible postoperative defect» («e. v.p. d.»), 35 patients with breast cancer (I, II stage) who underwent ablative and reconstructive plastic surgery, women were characterized in the postoperative period as «without an externally visible postoperative defect» («without an e. v.p. d.»). The results and conclusions. The results of the study of women in both groups indicate that the patients are moderately using coping strategies for coping with the disease, preferring the strategy of «problem resolution» and «search of social support». Patients with breast cancer «with externally visible postoperative defect in comparing with patients with breast cancer «without an externally visible postoperative defect» often use positive religious coping in coping with the disease. The group