title: Addressing fear of cancer recurrence among women with cancer: a feasibility and preliminary outcome study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Evidence suggests that fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is one of the most frequently cited unmet needs among cancer survivors and is associated with psychological distress, stress-response symptoms, and lower quality of life, as well as increased use of health care resources. Despite these factors, few manualized interventions exist to address FCR among cancer survivors.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To develop, manualize, and pilot test the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a 6-week cognitive-existential (CE) group intervention designed to address FCR in women with breast or ovarian cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was a single-arm multi-site study with pre-, post-, and 3-month follow-up measurement occasions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 56 breast or ovarian cancer survivors enrolled in the study; 44 completed the CE group intervention. Following the intervention, women experienced a reduction in the primary study outcome measure of FCR and secondary study outcome measures of cancer-specific distress and uncertainty. They also reported improvements in secondary study outcome measures of quality of life and coping. The effect sizes of the observed changes were for the most part in the medium to large effect range; furthermore, almost all changes were sustained at 3-month follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This brief intervention appears feasible and has shown promising results in addressing FCR and related secondary outcomes of cancer-specific distress, uncertainty, quality of life, and coping; however, it should be further tested using a randomized controlled study design to more definitively assess its efficacy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FCR is a near-universal worry for cancer survivors that, when left unaddressed, tends to remain stable over time. This study has important implications for all cancer survivors as it is the first published intervention that provides preliminary evidence of its efficacy in decreasing fear of cancer recurrence.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean Jacques Lussier, room 4016, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1N6N5, slebel@uottawa.ca.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lebel
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maheu
authors.forename: Monique
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lefebvre
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Secord
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Courbasson
authors.forename: Mina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Lynne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jolicoeur
authors.forename: Aronela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Benea
authors.forename: Cheryl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Michael Fung Kee
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.forename: Zeev
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Rosberger
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Catton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology*; D005239:Fear; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000523:psychology*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D017741:Survivors
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