title: Body image and awareness in patients with advanced-stage melanoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Body image (BI) is a very important aspect to be taken care of, especially in cancer patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We administered the Body Image Scales, with a specifically created semi-structured questionnaire which includes items that investigate the level of awareness and the degree of acceptance of the disease of the patient, was administered to patients giving their written informed consent to participate to the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results show that our population sample got an average score of 17.25 showing precisely problems related to body image.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An adequate psychological support is crucial, as it has been widely demonstrated that body-image-related issues have a negative impact on patients' quality of life, especially in the oncology field. Such support has the aim of dealing with those aspects which can compromise the patients' equilibrium and quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Division of Dermatology, Department of Surgery and Translational Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy - e.campolmi@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Campolmi
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mugnai
authors.forename: Margherita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Riccio
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grifoni
authors.forename: Susanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gunnella
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fortunato
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fioretto
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Borgognoni
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pimpinelli
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001828:Body Image; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires