WEDNESDAY, April 24, 2024 -- Patients receiving facial skin cancer surgery have low scores for perceived stigmatization and body image concerns, and surgery does not influence quality of life, according to a study published online April 22 in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Nick Marsidi, M.D., from the Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands, and colleagues measured the psychological impact of facial skin cancer surgery during a one-year period in an observational study involving patients who had Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS; 154 patients) or conventional excision (CE; 74 patients). Five surveys were conducted to measure quality of life, perceived stigmatization, body image, satisfaction with facial appearance, and psychosocial distress preoperatively and at one week, three months, and one year postoperatively.

The researchers found that the scores for quality of life did not change significantly in the year after surgery, but over time, changes were seen in stigmatization, body image concerns, satisfaction with facial appearance, and psychological distress (d = −0.07, −0.014, 0.43, and −0.15, respectively). Scores after one year were not significantly affected by use of MMS or CE.

"Patients receiving facial skin cancer surgery exhibited low scores for perceived stigmatization and body image concerns. Their quality of life was not statistically influenced by facial surgery, and their satisfaction with facial appearance and psychosocial distress even improved after one year," the authors write. "The overall results can assist in counselling strategies to improve expectations for patients receiving facial surgery."