Effects of the appearance care program for breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy: A mixed method study

Abstract

BackgroundTreatment of breast cancer entails surgery, often followed by chemotherapy. Alopecia is a major, intractable side effect with potentially profound impacts on appearance. We developed a nurse‐facilitated program targeting appearance‐related symptoms.AimsThis study explored the effects of the appearance care program on quality of life (QOL). The program was delivered across three sessions, each involving personal reflections on appearance concerns, short lectures on skincare and makeover techniques, and small group discussions.Method and ResultsSeventy‐two women who attended the appearance care program were invited to participate. We employed a mixed‐method design combining quantitative and qualitative methods. QOL instruments were used to measure effects of the program at the first and final sessions and at a one‐month follow‐up. The qualitative data were collected as open‐ended notes regarding participants' perception of the program at the final session and at a one‐month follow‐up. Fifty‐seven women completed all three sessions. Of them, 55 participated in this study. Their mean age was 46.4 years; 39 (70.9%) had partners, and 34 (61.8%) had children. Most participants experienced hair loss at one‐month post‐program; however, cancer‐specific QOL improved after attending the program. Patients' experience of fatigue and weakness may explain observations of decreased physical well‐being. Emotional well‐being continued to increase 1 month following the program, while social and functional well‐being was consistent. Participants felt empowered by the information on skincare and cosmetic techniques and valued the intimate support from the group members facing similar circumstances.ConclusionsThis study showed that the appearance care program increased or maintained the well‐being of participants. Findings suggest the appearance care program which promoted group sharing experiences empowered participants and may have enhanced their coping strategies.

Effects of the appearance care on psychosocial outcomes for breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…The studies were published between 1994 to 2022 (Table 1). The studies were conducted in six country such as Japan [14], Korea [15,22], Brazil [16], Italy [17],…”

“…The trials comprised 675 breast cancer patients, sample size ranged from 55 to 152. Effects were described according to outcome measures including body image (six studies) [15][16][17][18]21,22], self-esteem ( ve studies) [14,[16][17][18]22], anxiety (six studies) [15][16][17][18]21,22], depression ( ve studies) [15][16][17]21,22], sexual function (two studies) [15,22], and quality of life (two studies) [14,17].…”

“…All studies focused on patients during treatment or recovery period. The studies by Ikeda M, 2020 (31%) [14], Panissi KC, 2021 (16.5%) [16], and Di Mattei VE, 2017 (25%) [17] had a small number of patients who had not undergone surgery. Besides, participants of the remaining study were postsurgical breast cancer patients, including patients who will be, are, or had completed adjuvant therapy.…”

“…Appearance care is designed to teach makeup techniques and camou age strategies in response to changes in appearance [14], which act directly on appearance-related side effects. Appearance care is particularly promising as a simple, convenient, and economical method that also does not require technologically advanced equipment.…”

“…Given the important impact of appearance-related side effect on the psychosocial well-being of patients with breast cancer, increasingly researchers explored the effectiveness on appearance care on psychosocial outcomes. Studies have shown that targeted appearance care for breast cancer patients can effectively reduce body image disturbance [15], improve sexual function [15], self-esteem [14,[16][17][18][19], anxiety and depression [15][16][17][18][19], and quality of life [14,19,20]. However, there are also studies with different results [21,22].…”