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Annual Report 2019

Appearance Support Center

Keiko Nozawa, Naoya Yamazaki, Emi Noguchi, Masao Arikawa, Shoko Toma, Michiko Kato

Introduction

 The Appearance Support Center aims to support patients to be able to ‘live in society’ and ‘live as humans’ through clinical research and educational practices regarding patients’ physical appearance.

The Team and What We Do

1. Clinical activities

 Our team comprises two clinical psychologists (full-time and part-time respectively) specialized in cosmetics, who consult both in- and outpatients as well as their families for questions and concerns regarding physical appearance. Example issues include the side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy on skin, nails and hair and scarring and epithesis from surgeries and breast surgery. To expand our practice beyond consultation alone, we are currently developing a new team in collaboration with a dermatologist, plastic surgeon, medical oncologist, pharmacist and nurses.

 The outpatient space is open to the public from Monday to Thursday between 12 am and 1 pm, during which time patients can try on different products and consult staff. Despite the limited hours for security reasons, we had 1,210 users from January to December. We also conduct a patient program entitled “Cosmetic Information” every Tuesday and Thursday from 1 pm, the main aim of which is to educate patients through group sessions.

 We had 96 group sessions in which 349 patients participated. However, there was a decrease in participation this year compared to the previous year. The number of consultations after mid-February decreased dramatically due to the impact of COVID-19. In addition, this was due to the discontinuation of the men’s consultation day sessions program that had been held since the center was established. The reason for the discontinuation of the program is that, unlike when the center was first established, more men are now willing to participate in the program with women.

 The total number of new patients for individual consultations was 281 for both outpatients and wards, and the total number of interventions was 2,433.

 Although the main focus was on coping with individual specific symptoms, including head and neck cancer, requests for interventions for stress relief increased, as in the year before last, due to the increase in the number of patients with rare cancers requiring long-term medical treatment. There were also consultations on concerns over significant life events such as the shichi-go-san ceremony, the coming-of-age ceremony, weddings and questions regarding mortuary makeup.

 In addition, The Patient Support and Research and Development Center on the 8th floor provided preoperative consultations in head and neck cancer, mainly in collaboration with the perioperative outpatient clinic.

2. Research activities

 We have conducted research activities with a focus on the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare’s Comprehensive Cancer Control Program, funded by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare’s “Research on the Equalization of Appearance Care for Cancer Patients and the Development of Educational Programs for Leaders”.

Research outcomes

 A phase III, randomized, controlled trial evaluating topical corticosteroid therapy for facial acneiform dermatitis by EGFR inhibitors, which was completed in the previous year, was presented at the World Association of Lung Cancer and the European Oncology Congress. In parallel with the AMED study, we conducted a continuing study, “Exploratory study on the efficacy of topical benzoyl peroxide for the treatment of facial acneiform dermatitis caused by EGFR inhibitors”. In addition, as a research group of the MHLW (2017-2019), the “Basic Education Program for Appearance Care E-Learning, Ver. 1.0” was created. It is the first systematic and practical web teaching material for medical professionals in appearance care.

Education

 To support medical staff to practice appearance care, “The Educational Workshop Regarding Appearance Care for Cancer Patients” was held three times in a year (224 participants). And we were also actively involved in mentorships for interns and holding monthly lectures for interns of the Department of Palliative Care. We lectured to trainees at the hospital, gave trainees tours of our center and provided guidance. A guidebook for men’s appearance care, “NO HOW TO”, and a separate volume, “KNOW HOW TO”, were developed and published as educational materials for patients

Future prospects

 The “Third Basic Plan for the Promotion of Cancer Control Measures” clearly states that the issue of appearance will be taken up in order to further improve the quality of life of cancer patients, and that the organization of training to support the appearance of cancer patients will be considered. We would like to continue to build a new field on a research basis.

Author.

 Keiko Nozawa

Conferences

Sponsor: Appearance Support Center (the NCC Hospital)

Conference title: The Educational Workshop on Appearance Care of Cancer Patients for Medical Staff: Basic course

Date: November, 3-4, 2019

Location (prefecture): Tokyo

Sponsor: Appearance Support Center (the NCC Hospital)

Conference title: The Educational Workshop on Appearance Care of Cancer Patients for Medical Staff: Advanced course

Date: October, 27, 2019

Location (prefecture): Tokyo

List of papers published in 2019

Journal

1. Kono T, Imanishi N, Nozawa K, Takashima A, Maheswari RU, Gonome H, Yamada J. Optical characteristics of human skin with hyperpigmentation caused by fluorinated pyrimidine anticancer agent. Biomed Opt Express, 10:3747-3759, 2019

2. Kinoshita T, Nakayama T, Fukuma E, Inokuchi M, Ishiguro H, Ogo E, Kikuchi M, Jinno H, Yamazaki N, Toi M. Efficacy of Scalp Cooling in Preventing and Recovering From Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia in Breast Cancer Patients: The HOPE Study. Front Oncol, 9:733, 2019