Understanding the relationship between body image and emotional distress among men and women with cancer - Abstract - Purpose, Methods, Results, Conclusion

Q: What body image components does the study focus on in cancer patients?

The study addresses two components of body image that affect emotional well-being: physical appearance and body function.

Q: How was anxiety and gender related to body image distress?

An association between anxiety and gender was found and was linked with body image distress, with different patterns by gender for physical appearance versus body function.

Q: What do the results suggest for supportive medical and psychosocial care?

Understanding how anxiety and gender influence distress about physical appearance and body function can help inform individualized medical and psychosocial care for cancer patients.

Sep 23, 2026

Uploaded by Bintang

Study examining how two body image components—physical appearance and body function—shape emotional well-being in cancer patients. The research evaluates interrelationships among anxiety, gender, and endorsement of distress related to physical appearance and body function. A retrospective analysis of 1,563 City of Hope patients (2009–2017) used routine touch-screen assessment of biopsychosocial problem-related distress, modeled with mixed models controlling demographic and clinical factors. Findings show anxiety-gender associations linked to body image distress. Women were more distressed than men about physical appearance, while men showed greater distress about body function.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Background

Body image distress and its prevalence

Conceptual framework: physical appearance vs body function

Prior research focus and gaps

Supportive Care in Cancer (2025) 33:649 [https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-025-09703-3](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-025-09703-3) Understanding the relationship between body image and emotional distress among men and women with cancer Janet Mokhnatkin1 · Marianne Razavi1 · Karen Clark1 · Ashley N. Hudson2 · Matthew Loscalzo1 · Jeanelle Folbrecht1 Received: 1 November 2024 / Accepted: 20 June 2025 / Published online: 1 July 2025 © The Author(s) 2025 Abstract Purpose This study addresses key gaps in knowledge regarding two components of body image that impact the emotional well-being of cancer patients: physical appearance and body function. The study examines the interrelationship of anxiety and gender in endorsement of distress related to body function and physical appearance. Methods A retrospective study was conducted involving 1563 patients treated for cancer at City of Hope between 2009 and 2017. Patients completed a biopsychosocial problem-related distress touch-screen instrument before treatment as part of their routine clinical care. Relationships between body image constructs (physical appearance, body function), anxiety, and gender were examined using mixed models. Models controlled demographic (age, marital status, household income, education, and survey language) and clinical variables (cancer type, disease stage) . Results An association between anxiety and gender (p < 0.001) was found and was associated with body image distress. With higher levels of anxiety, women were significantly more distressed than men regarding physical appearance (F = 6.94, p = 0.009), while men were significantly more distressed than women regarding body function (F = 4.05, p = 0.044) . Conclusion Distress regarding body image is an important factor to consider in patients with cancer. Understanding the impact of anxiety and gender upon physical appearance distress and body function distress can inform individualized medical and psychosocial care. Keywords Cancer · Body image · Physical appearance · Body function · Distress · Gender · Anxiety * Janet Mokhnatkin[jamokhnatkin@coh.org](jamokhnatkin@coh.org) Marianne Razavi [mrazavi@coh.org](mrazavi@coh.org) Karen Clark [kclark@coh.org](kclark@coh.org) [Ashley N. Hudson](Ashley N. Hudson) [anhudson@ucdavis.edu](anhudson@ucdavis.edu) Matthew Loscalzo [mloscalzo@coh.org](mloscalzo@coh.org) Jeanelle Folbrecht [Jfolbrecht@coh.org](Jfolbrecht@coh.org) 1 Department of Supportive Care Medicine, City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 E. Duarte Rd, Duarte, CA 91010-3000, USA 2 Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis Medical Center Behavioral Health Center, 2230 Stockton Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA Background Diagnosis and treatment of cancer has a profound emotional, physical, and functional impact. Cancer impacts not just the composition and make-up of one’s cells, but also the observable characteristics and function of one’s body. Research on body image distress has found that poor body image is most prevalent following surgery or during treatment [1] but continues into survivorship [2–4]. Body image distress is associated with poor self-esteem, depression [5–7], anxiety [5, 6], difficulty coping, and overall decrease in quality of life [8, 9] . Research suggests risk factors for body image distress include preexisting anxiety [8, 10] and female gender [4, 5, 9] . Body image distress is common across various cancer types, including breast, melanoma, head and neck, cervical, ovarian, colorectal, prostate, and blood cancers [6] . Approximately one-third of breast cancer patients [2], 68% of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients [10], and 36% of all cancer patients [5] endorse distress related to body image. Body image has been conceptualized in numerous ways in literature. Most often, body image is considered a single construct. However, there is evidence to suggest the conceptualization of body image in

FAQs

What body image components does the study focus on in cancer patients?

The study addresses two components of body image that affect emotional well-being: physical appearance and body function.

How was anxiety and gender related to body image distress?

An association between anxiety and gender was found and was linked with body image distress, with different patterns by gender for physical appearance versus body function.

What do the results suggest for supportive medical and psychosocial care?

Understanding how anxiety and gender influence distress about physical appearance and body function can help inform individualized medical and psychosocial care for cancer patients.

Sep 23, 2026

Uploaded by Bintang