Quality of life and self-esteem in patients submitted to surgical treatment of skin carcinomas: long-term results

Abstract

BACKGROUND Cancer is a multifactorial disease and skin carcinomas are the most common type of cancer. Assessing quality of life and self-esteem outcomes in skin cancer patients is important because these are indicators of the results of the treatment, translating how patients face their lives and their personal relationships. OBJECTIVE To assess the late impact of the surgical treatment of head and/or neck skin carcinomas on quality of life and self-esteem of the patients. METHODS Fifty patients with head or neck skin carcinomas were enrolled. Their age ranged between 30 and 75 years, 27 were men and 23 were women. Patients were assessed with regard to quality of life and self-esteem, preoperatively and five years postoperatively. Validated instruments were used: the MOS 36-item Short-form Health Survey (SF-36) and the Rosenberg Self-esteem/EPM-UNIFESP Scale. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for the statistical analysis. RESULTS Twenty-two patients completed the five-year follow-up, 54.5% women and 45.5% men. Compared to the preoperative assessment, patients had an improvement in mental health (p=0.011) and in self-esteem (p=0.002). There was no statistical difference with regard to the other domains of the SF-36. CONCLUSION Patients submitted to surgical treatment of skin carcinoma improved mental health and self-esteem in the late postsurgical testing.

Quality of life measurement in skin cancer patients: literature review and position paper of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Task Forces on Quality of Life and Patient Oriented Outcomes, Melanoma and Non‐Melanoma Skin Cancer

“…There were publications on comorbidities in SC patients, 113 HRQoL after treatment [118][119][120][121][122][123][124][125][126] and many studies dedicated to different aspects of QoL in different populations of SC patients including studies on behaviour modification, 169,170 predictors of QoL, 171,172 predictors of survival, 173,174 supportive care needs, 175,176 coping strategies 177 and fear of cancer recurrence. 178 Many HRQoL tools have been used in SC patients, with a range of frequency of use.…”

Evaluation of risk factors and quality of life assessment in patients with basal cell carcinoma

“…616-006. 6 (3,4). Bazaliomi se češće javljaju kod muškaraca, što je ujedno i rezultat našeg istraživanja.…”

“…Bazaliomi se češće javljaju kod muškaraca, što je ujedno i rezultat našeg istraživanja. Postoje istraživanja koja ukazuju na veću učestalost među ženskim polom (5,6).…”

“…Izloženost UV zračenju, između ostalog i kod osoba koje duže od 8 sati dnevno rade na terenu, usaglašen je u literaturi kao najvažniji faktor okruženja koji doprinosi nastanku bazocelularnog karcinoma kože (5)(6)(7)(8)(9). U našem istraživanju, profesionalna izloženost UV zračenju sa zastupljenošću od 40% nalazi se na drugom mestu, odmah posle konzumiranja alkohola.…”

“…Treba napomenuti da su ovi istraživači pratili kvalitet života pacijenata pre hirurške terapije bazocelularnog karcinoma kože glave i vrata i nakon nje. Rezultati koje su dobili ukazuju na to da postoji poboljšanje kvaliteta života pacijenata posle hirurške terapije (6,13). Našim istraživanjem, s druge strane, nismo pratili efekte primenjene terapije već postojanje kvalitativnog i kvantitativnog umanjenja kvaliteta života kod obolelih i lečenih od bazocelularnog karcinoma kože.…”