BACKGROUND: To evaluate self-esteem among patients with skin cancer of the face and the neck area. METHODS: One hundred patients were studied, with ages ranging between 30 and 90 years old (median = 55 years old). There were 44 males and 56 females. We divided them in two groups. One group had fifty patients with skin cancers, equal or larger than 10mm in the greater axis, and the pathological status was confirmed by previous biopsy. The control group had 50 patients without skin cancer. Rosenberg/UNIFESP-EPM's Self-esteem Scale was used to evaluate self-esteem. Data were analyzed by Mann - Whitney's test and Kruskal Wallis test. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the two groups in relation to age (p = 0.331), sex and education. The mean tumor size was 20.9 ± 2 mm. Skin cancer patients presented significantly lower self-esteem, with average score of 6.84 and 3.90 for the control group (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Patients with skin cancer of the head and neck presented lower self-esteem than individuals without cancer.
Skin neoplasms; Carcinoma, basal cell; Carcinoma, squamous cell; head and neck neoplasms; Quality of life; Self concept
