SUMMARY Breast cancer is one of the most common types of tumor in the world and the most common among women. There are several treatments for breast cancer; however, the condition often can be accompanied by severe complications in a woman's life. OBJECTIVE: o evaluate and compare body image perception, quality of life, tenderness, and pain in women with breast cancer during preoperative and postoperative periods of 30, 60 and 90 days. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a prospective longitudinal study. The patients answered the questionnaire “How I relate to my own body”, EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-BR23. We assessed upper limb and breast sensitivity with an esthesiometer. Patients were questioned about the presence and level of pain on a scale of 0 to 10. RESULTS: For body image, it was possible to observe a significant difference between pre and postoperative at 30 days. There were changes in some areas of the EORTC QLQ C30 and EORTC QLQ BR23 questionnaires, such as arm and breast symptoms, social function, constipation, sexual function and satisfaction, among others. For evaluation of breast and axilla sensitivity and assessment of pain, all postoperative periods showed significant differences when compared to the preoperative period. The sensitivity of the inner region of the arm presented no significant change. CONCLUSION: The difference found in the study shows that evaluations on all scales should be done in several periods, using a proper treatment for the changes and individuality of each patient.