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Psychosocial effects of appearance changes due to cancer treatment and needs for information and supportive care in Japanese cancer patients
Author(s) -
Sakai Hitomi,
Koyama Atsuko,
Tanaka Kaoru,
Watanabe Satomi,
Nakura Miki,
Yasuda Toshiko,
Hayashi Makiko,
Endo Miyuki,
Nakagawa Kazuhiko
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
asia‐pacific journal of clinical oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.73
H-Index - 29
eISSN - 1743-7563
pISSN - 1743-7555
DOI - 10.1111/ajco.13333
Subject(s) - psychosocial , medicine , cancer , distress , multivariate analysis , social support , univariate analysis , scale (ratio) , clinical psychology , psychiatry , psychology , physics , quantum mechanics , psychotherapist
Purpose Cancer treatment can alter patient appearance, leading to psychological, social, and behavioral issues. This study aimed to investigate distress and difficulties related to appearance concerns in Japanese cancer patients and to identify information and support needs among them. Methods We conducted a questionnaire survey using the Derriford Appearance Scale 59 (DAS59) among cancer patients with a prior history of chemotherapy, molecular targeted therapy, or immunotherapy, who were recruited from the Departments of Medical Oncology and Psychosomatic Medicine, Kindai University Hospital. Results Participants were 114 patients with a mean age of 62.9 years; 70.2% were female, 86.0% had metastatic or locally advanced unresectable cancer, and 78.1% had concerns about some aspect of their appearance. Mean DAS59 full‐scale score was 77.7 ± 36.4. Younger and female participants were found to have higher full‐scale scores in univariate analysis ( P < .05 for both), and younger participants were found to have higher full‐scale scores in multivariate analysis ( P < .05). Conclusions DAS59 scores had a wide distribution, suggesting that psychological distress due to appearance changes showed large individual differences. Young and female patients tended to have high DAS59 full‐scale scores, but some older and male patients also had high scores. Basic information regarding appearance changes should be provided to all patients before initiating cancer treatment. Both information provision prior to treatment and care at the time of actual appearance changes are important, and should be handled through a multidisciplinary approach.