Body image and cancer

Abstract

The diagnosis and treatment of cancer can result both physical and psychiatric morbidity. Physical and psychological changes during the course of cancer may alter an individual's body image. Alterations in body image can contribute to the psychosocial adjustment of cancer patients. Early studies investigating the role of body image among cancer patients primarily have paid attention to breast cancer patients. The ongoing studies than examined body image disturbances and factors associated with body image changes in patients with different types of cancer. In general factors related to body image changes in cancer patients are due to: 1) cancer treatments (chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormone therapy and surgery); 2) results of treatments such as hair loss, weight loss or weight gain, loss of an organ, scars; 3) psychological distress related to cancer diagnosis, its treatments and cancer related issues; 4) personality properties (those who place importance on their appearance are more likely to experience distress when faced with a greater self-discrepancy in their appearance; 5) gender (women are more prompt to have more concerns than men about physical appearance; and 6) age. In addition to all these factors there is literature knowledge that body image concerns can change in follow-up period of a cancer diagnosis. In this chapter, body image disturbances in cancer patients, factors related to body image disturbances, body image disturbances in different types of cancer, impact of body image disturbances on quality of life and sexuality will be discussed. Also treatment approaches for body image disturbances in cancer patients will be reviewed in the light of the literature. © 2011 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved