BOX 63-1 Overview
• Psychosocial issues affect skin cancer patients from the time of diagnosis to the period after intervention and affect melanoma (MM) and nonmelanoma (NMSC) patients in different ways.
• Delay in seeking a diagnosis of skin cancer, while primarily caused by lack of knowledge, is influenced by psychological factors such as fear and denial.
• Psychological reaction to a diagnosis of skin cancer, as well as the ability to live and cope with the disease, can have a considerable impact on patient morbidity and mortality.
• Existing quality of life (QOL) studies demonstrate minimal impact, and a disease-specific Facial Skin Cancer Index is currently being developed to more accurately assess QOL in skin cancer patients.
• Postsurgical disfigurement can lead to psychological sequelae including depression, anxiety, and social phobia.