Body image screening for cancer patients undergoing reconstructive surgery.

Objectives: Body image is a critical issue for cancer patients undergoing reconstructive surgery, as they can experience disfigurement and functional impairment. Distress related to appearance changes can lead to various psychosocial difficulties, and patients are often reluctant to discuss these issues with their healthcare team. Our goals were to design and evaluate a screening tool to aid providers in identifying patients who may benefit from referral for specialized psychosocial care to treat body image concerns.

Developing a theoretical framework to illustrate associations among patient satisfaction, body image and quality of life for women undergoing breast reconstruction.

Within the field of breast reconstruction there is increasing focus on patient-reported outcomes related to satisfaction, body image, and quality of life. These outcomes are deemed highly relevant because the primary goal of breast reconstruction is to recreate the appearance of a breast (or breasts) that is satisfying to the patient. Prominent researchers have suggested the need to develop improved standards for outcome evaluation which can ultimately benefit patients as well as physicians.

The nature and extent of body image concerns among surgically treated patients with head and neck cancer.

Background: The purpose of this study was to describe body image concerns for surgically treated patients with head and neck cancer and evaluate the relationship between body image concerns and quality of life outcomes.

Methods: Data were obtained from 280 patients undergoing surgical treatment for head and neck cancer. We used a cross-sectional design and obtained data from individuals at different time points relative to initiation of surgical treatment.