title: Cancer survival through lifestyle change (CASTLE): a pilot study of weight loss.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Excess weight is a strong predictor of incident breast cancer (BC) and survivorship. A limited number of studies comparing strategies for promoting successful weight loss in women with remitted BC exist.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  CASTLE was a pilot study comparing the effectiveness/feasibility of in-person and telephonic behavioral-based lifestyle weight loss interventions in BC survivors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-two overweight/obese women (BMI = 25-45 kg/m(2)) with remitted BC (stages I-IIIa) who recently completed cancer treatment were assigned to either an in-person group (n = 24) or an individual telephone-based condition (n = 11). Both interventions focused on increasing physical activity and reducing caloric intake. The phase I intervention lasted 6 months. The in-person condition received 16 group-based sessions, and the telephone condition received intervention calls approximately weekly. Phase II lasted 6 months (e.g., months 6-12), and all participants received monthly intervention calls via telephone.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants were predominately Caucasian (80 %) with a mean age of 52.8 (8.0) years and BMI of 31.9 (5.4) kg/m(2). Mixed models ANOVAs showed significant within group weight loss after 6 months for both the in-person (-3.3 kg ± 4.4, p = 0.002) and the telephonic (-4.0 kg ± 6.0, p = 0.01) conditions with no between group differences. During phase II, the in-person group demonstrated significant weight regain (1.3 kg ± 1.7, p = 0.009).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our pilot study findings demonstrated that telephone-based behavioral weight loss programs are effective and feasible in BC survivors and that telephonic programs may have advantages in promoting weight loss maintenance.
authors.affiliation: Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University System, 6400 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA, 70808-4124, USA.
authors.forename: Melissa Nauta
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Damon L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Swift
authors.forename: Valerie H
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.forename: Conrad P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Earnest
authors.forename: Neil M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Johannsen
authors.forename: Catherine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Champagne
authors.forename: Becky D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: Erma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: Katherine C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Cash
authors.forename: Timothy S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Church
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D002149:Energy Intake; D015444:Exercise; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D050177:Overweight / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D013689:Telephone; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015431:Weight Loss; D061217:Weight Reduction Programs / Q000379:methods*