title: Nonmelanoma skin cancer: disease-specific quality-of-life concerns and distress.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide a better understanding of the disease-specific quality-of-life (QOL) concerns of patients with nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional.
  
  
  METHODS
  Skin cancer clinic of Jewish General Hospital in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
  
  
  METHODS
  56 patients with basal cell carcinoma and/or squamous cell carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive and inferential statistics applied to quantitative self-report data.
  
  
  METHODS
  Importance of appearance, psychological distress, and QOL.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most prevalent concerns included worries about tumor recurrence, as well as the potential size and conspicuousness of the scar. Skin cancer-specific QOL concerns significantly predicted distress manifested through anxious and depressive symptomology. In addition, the social concerns related to the disease were the most significant predictor of distress.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of this study provide healthcare professionals with a broad picture of the most prevalent NMSC-specific concerns, as well as the concerns that are of particular importance for different subgroups of patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nurses are in a position to provide pivotal psychosocial and informational support to patients, so they need to be aware of the often-overlooked psychosocial effects of NMSC to address these issues and provide optimal care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Radiotis
authors.affiliation: Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.affiliation: Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University.
authors.forename: Zofia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Czajkowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, McGill University.
authors.forename: Manish
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khanna
authors.affiliation: Louise Granofsky Psychosocial Oncology Program, Segal Cancer Centre in Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Annett
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Körner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D001828:Body Image; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D004954:Esthetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D011792:Quebec / Q000453:epidemiology; D012649:Self Concept; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*
keywords: basal cell carcinoma; distress; importance of appearance; nonmelanoma skin cancer; psychosocial concerns; quality of life; squamous cell carcinoma