Visibility and the Stigmatization of Cancer: Context Matters¹

Abstract

Few experimental studies have been conducted to investigate the effect of disease characteristics, such as visibility, on the stigmatization of cancer. The current study tested the reactions of undergraduates to vignettes that manipulated the visibility of cancer and the context in which help was needed by an individual with cancer. Results showed that participants were less willing to help the target individual when the cancer was visible and the context allowed stigmatization to be subtle. Further research should consider the relationships among disease attributes, the specific context where help is needed, and the stigmatization of individuals with cancer.

Body image mediates the effect of cancer‐related stigmatization on depression: A new target for intervention

“…Patients were asked whether or not (yes vs no) the cancer is visible for others, eg, by skin changes, the use of illness‐related devices such as stoma or limited mobility.…”

“…Based on theory, we controlled for demographics (age), functional health (physical quality of life), and illness type (cancer site; included in all analyses among the total sample). Additionally, we controlled for the visibility of the disease . Gender was highly confounded with cancer type (prostate: all male; breast: all female except 3 patients) and thus not included.…”

“…Such conditions can adversely affect the body image, including appraisal and feelings towards the body as well as physical strength and vitality . Furthermore, stigmatization also depends on whether the cancer is visible for others …”

Between stigma and pink positivity: women's perceptions of social interactions during and after breast cancer treatment

“…'s () recent review of research on lay understandings of cancer suggests that these attitudes still persist, and that people fear cancer more than other life‐threatening diseases. Perhaps unsurprisingly, research reveals that individuals with visible side‐effects of cancer are much more likely to be stigmatised (Knapp‐Oliver and Mayer ). Although this latter study was based on vignettes, other research, such as Harcourt and Frith's () interviews with breast cancer patients who suffered hair loss during chemotherapy, confirms that a visible cancer status can lead to unwanted attention and intrusive questions.…”

Illness centrality, disclosure, and well-being in younger and middle-aged adult cancer survivors

“…We hypothesized that centrality of cancer experience to one's current identity would be adversely related to adjustment in survivorship, given that cancer is still a stigmatized illness in our culture (Knapp‐Oliver & Moyer, 2009). We examined a wide range of adjustment indices to capture multiple dimensions of well‐being that have been shown to be important for cancer survivors: positive and negative affect, health‐related quality of life (HRQOL), life satisfaction, intrusive thoughts, and post‐traumatic growth.…”