Giornale Italiano di Dermatologia e Venereologia 2019 Jun 12

DOI: 10.23736/S0392-0488.19.06348-X

Copyright © 2019 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Melanoma diagnosis: traumatic impact of the event on the patient

Eleonora CAMPOLMI ^{1, 2} ✉, Margherita RICCIO ^{1, 2}, Bernardo CARLI ^{1, 2}, Giovanni BACCI ³, Maria S. PINO ^{2, 4}, Sara FORTUNATO ^{1, 2}, Susanna GUNNELLA ^{1, 2}, Luisa FIORETTO ^{2, 4}, Lorenzo BORGOGNONI ^{2, 5}, Nicola PIMPINELLI ^{1, 2}

¹ Division Dermatology, Department of Surgery and Translational Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy; ² Melanoma & Skin Cancer Unit, Tuscany Centre Health District, Florence Italy; ³ Department of Biology, University of Florence, Italy; ⁴ Department of Oncology, Medical Oncology Unit, S. Maria Annunziata Hospital, Florence, Italy; ⁵ Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Unit, Department of Surgery, S. Maria Annunziata Hospital, Florence, Italy

BACKGROUND: The aim of our study was to consider the distressing impact of the diagnosis in a group of patients with metastatic melanoma, and the effects it could have on the quality of life of the patients.
METHODS: We proposed a Impact Event Scale (IES-R) to a group of 31 patients. The patients were positive to the Distress Thermometer (DS), and accepted the psychological support. After six months from the start of the treatment we made a semi-structured interview of 10 multiple choice questions.
RESULTS: Sixtyfive (65) % women and 50% men report that all the event related to the disease, cause emotions that recall the disease. Eightytwo (82) % women, compared to 50% men, report that the thought of their medical condition tends to affect their quality of sleep; the patients report feelings of anger and irritation (41% of the women and 78% of the men).
CONCLUSIONS: The traumatic aspects following the diagnosis of melanoma burst powerfully into the life of these patients, who show different reactions, also according to gender.

KEY WORDS: Melanoma - Psychological support - Quality of life - Cancer