Patients' Body Image Improves After Mohs Micrographic Surgery for Nonmelanoma Head and Neck Skin Cancer

BACKGROUND Most skin cancers occur on the head and neck, areas of the body that are significant to an individual's body image (BI) perception. Poor BI is a robust risk factor for depression and decreased quality of life. Thus, patients with nonmelanoma head and neck skin cancer (NMHNSC) may be more vulnerable to BI disturbance and the negative sequelae of poor BI. OBJECTIVE Describe the nature of BI concerns in patients diagnosed with NMHNSC and assess how BI changes with treatment. METHODS AND MATERIALS Patients undergoing Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) for NMHNSC completed assessments of BI and well-being before (N = 239) and 6 months after (N = 80) treatment with MMS. Demographic and tumor data were gathered through retrospective chart review. RESULTS Body image improved significantly 6 months after MMS, and the magnitude of this change was large (η2 = 0.18). Repair length (length of final scar irrespective of repair type) >4 cm predicted poorer BI at 6-month follow-up. CONCLUSION Patients' BI improves after treatment with MMS for NMHNSC. Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Brandon T. Beal, MD, Department of Dermatology, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue/A60, Cleveland, OH 44195, or e-mail: bealb@ccf.org Supplemental digital content is available for this article. Direct URL citations appear in the printed text and are provided in the full text and PDF versions of this article on the journal's Web site (https://ift.tt/2bw6lgr). This study was funded by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery through their 2015 Cutting Edge Research Grant. The authors have indicated no significant interest with commercial supporters. B.T. Beal and E.K. White contributed equally to this manuscript. © 2018 by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, Inc. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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