Fifty years ago, the surgeon general¡¯s first report on smoking was published. Since then, MD Anderson has been steadfast in its fight to help people kick the habit and treat those who¡¯ve developed cancer caused by smoking and secondhand smoke.
Spring 2014 : Cancer Briefings
Screening tool targets body-image concerns
While clinicians and surgeons work to provide the best medical outcomes for cancer patients undergoing reconstructive surgery, researchers and psychologists work to help prevent acute psychosocial impairment.
In a cross-sectional study recently published in Psycho-Oncology, researchers tested a survey that acts as an early screening and intervention tool to help clinicians identify patients who were at high risk for body image concerns.
¡°Patients can become very distressed by appearance changes after reconstructive surgery,¡± said Michelle Fingeret, Ph.D., a behavioral scientist and lead investigator on the study. ¡°We need to be able to identify these patients and address their concerns as early as possible to ensure we provide the best intervention.¡±
The survey, known as Body Image Screener for Cancer Reconstruction (BICR), was designed specifically for cancer patients undergoing reconstructive surgery at MD Anderson, and is administered by plastic surgeons. Fingeret, a psychologist and director of MD Anderson¡¯s Body Image Therapy Program, said this type of screening is needed to better assess patients¡¯ frame of mind before surgery.
The survey, which was administered to 248 patients undergoing different types of reconstructive surgery, covers three key components that indicate body-image concerns: distress, behavioral avoidance and preoccupation.
More than 95% of the patients expressed concerns about body-image and one-third were interested in enrolling in counseling or receiving additional information about body-image distress. ¡°This is just the first step in research that needs to be done on this population group,¡± Fingeret said.
¡°We¡¯re raising an important issue to patients and clinicians because body-image concerns affect the quality of life for both patients and survivors.¡±
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