Surgical Research Society of Australasia – Abstracts in order 2024

Background: Facial skin cancers and surgical management can alter appearance.This contributes to patient morbidity through effects on selfperception and psychosocial well-being.Quantitative assessment of impacts can be undertaken using a psychometrically validated patient-reported outcome measure, the FACE-Q skin cancer module.Methods: This is a single-centre, prospective cohort study of 110 participants undergoing facial skin cancer surgery in an Australian tertiary hospital between November 2021 and December 2023.Participants completed FACE-Q Skin Cancer questionnaires pre-operatively and at one, three, six, and 12 months post-operatively.Results: 105 participants completed pre-operative questionnaires, of these, 101 (91.8%), 96 (87.3%), 93 (84.5%) and 76 (69.1%) completed questionnaires post-operatively at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively.At 12 months, significant improvements ( p < 0.001) were found in Cancer Worry, Appraisal of Scars and Sun Protection Behaviours.Age was found to be a significant predictor of outcome across all scales and checklists ( p < 0.001; p = 0.002) in comparison to other variables.Being under 65 years of age significantly predicted worse Cancer Worry ( p = 0.02) and Appraisal of Scars ( p = 0.04).Combined repair was associated with worse Cancer Worry (p = 0.03).There was no significant differences in outcomes observed between melanoma and NMSC.Conclusion: Facial skin cancer surgery improves patient reported healthrelated quality of life, appearance and sun protection behaviours.Younger patients and those requiring reconstructive management may benefit from targeted peri-operative support alongside interdisciplinary care.Clinical integration of the FACE-Q Skin Cancer module will assist treating specialists to provide individualised care to patients.