Survey: Anxiety, thoughts of recurrence high in those with skin cancer

Skin Cancer in America 2019, a survey from Health Union, showed that a variety of risk factors, such as anxiety, and lower quality of life are linked to skin cancer recurrences.

Of 1,013 adult survey respondents living with skin cancer, six of 10 reported a recurrence.

Of respondents with basal cell carcinoma (BCC), 35% reported having four or more occurrences, according to Health Union. In respondents with melanoma, 38% had more than one occurrence and 62% report having it one time. In those with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), 20% had two occurrences and 27% had four or more.

Two-thirds of respondents reported a BCC recurrence and 57% reported a SCC recurrence, according to the survey.

More than one-third of those with BCC, 27% with SCC and more than half of those with dysplastic nevus syndrome/atypical mole syndrome have had at least three recurrences, for each condition.

The shortest duration between recurrences of less than 6 months was identified in 37% of those with SCC. The same period between recurrences was also found in 28% of respondents with BCC.

Twenty-three percent of respondents reported an anxiety/panic disorder and 15% reported a mood disorder. Nearly half of the respondents thought of recurrence weekly, according to Health Union.

In those with melanoma, 29% reported having hypertension, 24% reported anxiety or panic disorders, 23% reported being overweight and 23% reported high cholesterol/triglycerides.

Approximately three-fourths of respondents with melanoma reported being comfortable discussing all aspects of skin cancer with their health care provider and were satisfied with care from their provider.

Those who experienced a recurrence were more likely to report a family history of skin cancer, live in a sunny or high-altitude area, experienced blistering sunburns and have fair skin or skin that sunburns easily, according to the survey. Additionally, they were more likely to report not wearing clothing that protected their skin in the sun.

Those who never experienced a recurrence were likely to report more positive quality of life and felt that their condition has not hindered them from doing activities they enjoy.

More than 50% of respondents identified recurrence risks as the top topic of interest when seeking skin cancer information.

Overall, 49% of respondents had no evidence of disease upon taking the survey.

Reference:

SkinCancer.net. Skin Cancer in America 2019. Assessed on July 1, 2019.