THE PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF MODELING IN A CANCER SURVIVORS FASHION SHOW

Our objective was to assess whether cancer survivors can serve as mode ls to promote cancer prevention and screening without suffering psycho logical discomfort themselves. The disease-coping literature suggests that if women knew more about what cancer treatment and life after sur viving cancer were like, they would be more likely to accept cancer sc reening tests. Because cancer survivors are living examples showing th at people can survive and thrive after cancer, survivors have the pote ntial to promote cancer screening by teaching others in their communit y. However, if cancer survivors are to be asked to accept this task, i t is essential to demonstrate that this activity does not cause psycho logical suffering for them. Cancer survivors were invited (n = 31) or volunteered (n = 22) to model in a cancer survivors' fashion show. All were asked to complete a brief biographical sketch before the event a nd a convenience subsample was interviewed by a trained ethnographer. A brief questionnaire was mailed to the models after the event. Indivi duals who did not return the mailed questionnaire were contacted by te lephone. Forty-two of the models completed the mailed questionnaire an d 10 were contacted by telephone. The models tended to report that the experience was very positive for themselves (mean = 9.0, standard dev iation [SD] = 1.3 on a scale of 0 to 10 where 0 is extremely negative and 10 is extremely positive) and for their family and friends who att ended the fashion show (mean = 9.1, SD = 1.3 on the same scale). Under the proper conditions, modeling survivorship to others can be a rewar ding experience for cancer survivors. While the models are easy to rec ruit, it remains to be demonstrated that cancer survivors are effectiv e lay advocates for cancer prevention and screening.