Victoria Wytiaz, Nina Jackson Levin, Chiu Yi Tan, Daria Stelmak, Nick Iannarino, Anao Zhang, Erin Ellman, Lindsey Herrel, Molly Moravek, Emily Walling, Rashmi Chugh, Brad Zebrack
{"title":"Body image disturbances in adolescent and young adult cancer patients confronting infertility risk and fertility preservation decisions.","authors":"Victoria Wytiaz, Nina Jackson Levin, Chiu Yi Tan, Daria Stelmak, Nick Iannarino, Anao Zhang, Erin Ellman, Lindsey Herrel, Molly Moravek, Emily Walling, Rashmi Chugh, Brad Zebrack","doi":"10.1080/07347332.2023.2235607","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Body image is a major psychosocial concern for all cancer patients but can affect the adolescent and young adult (AYA) population in distinct ways. Similarly, the prospect of infertility and the fertility preservation process can create additional stress during cancer treatment. Discussions regarding infertility inherently implicate the body and its reproductive function, but downstream effects on self-perception have not been previously described. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of AYAs as they considered their risk of infertility and options for fertility preservation (FP), specifically the ways in which this impacted body image and FP decision-making.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>AYA cancer patients (<i>n</i> = 27) aged 12-25 years whose cancer and treatment conferred risk of infertility were recruited through electronic health record query at an NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. Participants completed semi-structured interviews, which were recorded, transcribed, and deductively coded for themes related to information needs, knowledge of treatment effects on fertility, and reproductive concerns after cancer. Emergent, inductive themes related to body image were identified.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Body image concerns, related to both physical appearance and body functioning emerged. Common concerns included anticipating change as it pertains to the body and its functions, physical discomfort, fear of judgment, and meeting expectations of the body. While these themes are broad in nature, they have been previously explored in relation to body image in general and their emergence in the oncofertility space provides guidance for further optimization of infertility and fertility preservation discussions.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>AYA cancer patients experience a multitude of body image related disturbances when faced with the possibility of infertility and fertility preservation. In identifying and exploring these themes, future opportunities for improving oncofertility practice and discussions among AYAs with a focus on body image positivity are called upon.</p>","PeriodicalId":47451,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Psychosocial Oncology","volume":" ","pages":"208-222"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5000,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10788379/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Psychosocial Oncology","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/07347332.2023.2235607","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2023/7/15 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"PSYCHOLOGY, SOCIAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Purpose: Body image is a major psychosocial concern for all cancer patients but can affect the adolescent and young adult (AYA) population in distinct ways. Similarly, the prospect of infertility and the fertility preservation process can create additional stress during cancer treatment. Discussions regarding infertility inherently implicate the body and its reproductive function, but downstream effects on self-perception have not been previously described. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of AYAs as they considered their risk of infertility and options for fertility preservation (FP), specifically the ways in which this impacted body image and FP decision-making.
Methods: AYA cancer patients (n = 27) aged 12-25 years whose cancer and treatment conferred risk of infertility were recruited through electronic health record query at an NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. Participants completed semi-structured interviews, which were recorded, transcribed, and deductively coded for themes related to information needs, knowledge of treatment effects on fertility, and reproductive concerns after cancer. Emergent, inductive themes related to body image were identified.
Results: Body image concerns, related to both physical appearance and body functioning emerged. Common concerns included anticipating change as it pertains to the body and its functions, physical discomfort, fear of judgment, and meeting expectations of the body. While these themes are broad in nature, they have been previously explored in relation to body image in general and their emergence in the oncofertility space provides guidance for further optimization of infertility and fertility preservation discussions.
Conclusions: AYA cancer patients experience a multitude of body image related disturbances when faced with the possibility of infertility and fertility preservation. In identifying and exploring these themes, future opportunities for improving oncofertility practice and discussions among AYAs with a focus on body image positivity are called upon.
期刊介绍：
Here is your single source of integrated information on providing the best psychosocial care possible from the knowledge available from many disciplines.The Journal of Psychosocial Oncology is an essential source for up-to-date clinical and research material geared toward health professionals who provide psychosocial services to cancer patients, their families, and their caregivers. The journal—the first interdisciplinary resource of its kind—is in its third decade of examining exploratory and hypothesis testing and presenting program evaluation research on critical areas, including: the stigma of cancer; employment and personal problems facing cancer patients; patient education.
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