10 Arab Moslem women (mean age 47.6 yrs) who had a mastectomy were studied in interviews as well as through the Brief Symptom Inventory and the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale. The Moslem Ss' perceptions about and attribution of the disease were different from those of 20 Jewish women (mean age 47.7 yrs), demonstrating a delay in recognizing the disease and in seeking medical help as well as a lack of information about and discussion of the disease. Findings highlight the need to learn more about the impact of a culture on a patient's health-disease orientation before efficient medical services can be supplied.