Skin Cancer Blog

Do you have many patients with anxiety? This month’s article deals with a – perhaps – uncommon, but not unimportant issue: managing patient anxiety while undergoing skin cancer excision.

The authors of this paper did a randomised trial of stress ball squeezing or hand-holding or no intervention, while patients underwent a skin cancer excision under local anaesthetic.

The study showed no difference between all three groups. Patient anxiety levels were not high to start with (3 on a score of 1-6), and levels fell over time in each group.

Using a stress ball or hand holding has no effect on reducing stress. So, what is your own practice if you sense that a patient is anxious? Probably clear, confident, reassurance from you – as the doctor – is sufficient.

I really appreciate these simple, pragmatic trials, that help us build an evidence base around our day to day work.

Professor David Wilkinson

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Read more from Professor David Wilkinson on recent research:

• Managing Subungual Melanoma In Situ in General Practice
• Diagnostic Accuracy for Skin Cancer Among Non-Doctors
• Dermoscopy in the Diagnosis of Melanoma In Situ
• Can a course of fluorouracil cream reduce a person’s risk of BCC and SCC?
• A New Way to Evaluate Acral Lesions

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Learn more about skin cancer medicine in primary care at the next Skin Cancer Certificate Courses: