At a glance
ClinicalIndex Comparison Record- ✓English-speaking women
- ✓Age 25 years or older
- ✓Living within 60 miles of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- ✓Stage I or II breast cancer (first-time diagnosis) OR stage IV/distant recurrence breast cancer
None specified.
Standardized by ClinicalIndex from the ClinicalTrials.gov record · verify against the source.
Understanding Shared Psychobiological Pathways--Project 4. Psychobiological Pathways: Breast Cancer Interventions
In Brief
A clinical study evaluating Education and Peer support for Breast Neoplasms. Completed, enrolled 245 participants.
Detailed Summary
The present study sought to investigate the efficacy of two psychosocial interventions for breast cancer patients, a peer support intervention and an education intervention. The present study also sought to identify mechanisms underlying the benefits of these interventions, and to determine if the efficacy of these interventions is moderated by cancer severity.
Study Details
Timeline
Interventions
The education group meetings focused on providing patients with information about their disease as well as methods to manage their illness and its side effects. Facilitators emphasized the theme of perceived control during all sessions, discussing how participants are in control of their illness experience and can have more control of their lives. A different topic was addressed in each session. Weekly homework assignments asked patients to write down something new they had learned from the session regarding how to take control of their lives. Meeting topics were as follows: Overview of breast cancer, treatment types and side effects, nutrition and diet management, exercise, body image, communication issues, relationships, and sexuality.
The peer support group meetings focused on fostering purpose in life by providing participants with opportunities to support and care for one another. Patients completed a weekly diary of critical experiences or current life problems as homework, and were then encouraged to share these experiences in the group meetings. The group facilitator encouraged participants to help one another with these issues, and share how they had dealt with similar problems.