Seyedeh Maryam Attari - Master of Midwifery, Department of Reproductive Health and Midwifery, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, IR Iran.
Giti Ozgoli - ph.D in Reproductive Health. Department of Reproductive Health and Midwifery, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran,
Mahnaz Solhi - PhD, Health Education and Health Promotion, Associate Prof. Health Education and Health Promotion Dept. School of Health. Iran University of Medical Sciences. Tehran- Iran
Hamid Alavi Majd - Department of Biostatistics, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among female. Illness Perception is an important topic in the study of disease, especially breast cancer. Leventhal s self-regulation model provides a proper framework to assess of the perception of breast cancer. The aim of this study was determine the illness perceptions in breast cancer patients based on Leventhal s self-regulation model. Understanding current status will help designing interventions such as educational and treatment programs to improve their quality of life. Materials and Methods: This is a correlational descriptive study with Convenience sampling conducted in 2013.Participants were120 women with breast cancer who diagnosed in the last year and referred to chemotherapy and radiotherapy centers in Rasht. Data collection scales was included: Demographic data and Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R). Data analyzed using SPSS-19. Results: The mean(SD)age calculated for the patients was 47.3±10.16. 43% of the patients had a high school or higher education and 82% of them were married. The perception of the illness(and the mean scores) are: women understanding about breast cancer is relatively chronic disease (timeline acute /chronic=51%), serious consequences on the lives (the consequences =74%), high-performance personal control and treatment (personal= 79%,treatment =82%, risk factors =67% ,psychological characteristics = 61%, low probability of recurrence (timeline cyclical =39%), a condition associated with anxiety, depression, high stress (emotional representations =71%) and average perception of identity (45%). The majority of patients had little understanding of the illness (illness coherence =40%). Conclusion: Educational interventions and counseling to improve understanding of the disease is necessary.

Breast cancer, Illness perceptions, self-regulation- Leventhal s model