title: Facilitating lifestyle changes to manage menopausal symptoms in women with breast cancer: a randomized controlled pilot trial of The Pink Women's Wellness Program.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Women diagnosed as having breast cancer may experience difficulties with posttreatment effects such as menopausal symptoms. The aims of this pilot study were to (1) evaluate the impact of a multimodal lifestyle program on reducing menopausal symptoms in women with breast cancer and (2) examine the impact of the program on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and adherence to lifestyle recommendations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Overall, 55 women aged 45 to 60 years with one moderate to severe menopausal symptom and a history of breast cancer were randomized into an intervention group (n = 26) or a control group (n = 29). Women in the intervention group received a lifestyle intervention (The Pink Women's Wellness Program) that included clinical consultations and a tailored health education program. Measurements of menopausal symptoms (Greene Climacteric Scale), HRQoL (SF-12 and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast), and modifiable lifestyle factors (food intake, physical activity, smoking and alcohol use, and sleep disturbance) were taken at baseline and 12 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women in the intervention group reported clinically significant reductions in many menopausal symptoms, specifically somatic symptoms (d = 0.52), vasomotor symptoms (d = 0.55), sexual dysfunction (d = .65), and overall menopausal symptoms (d = 0.54), at 12 weeks compared with the control group (d = 0.03, d = 0.24, d = 0.18, and d = 0.05, respectively). Women in the intervention group reported improvements in Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast subscale scores, physical well-being and functional well-being, and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General total scores (intervention group: d = 0.54, d = 0.50, and d = 0.48, respectively; control group: d = 0.22, d = 0.11, and d = 0.05, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Pink Women's Wellness Program is effective in decreasing menopausal symptoms, thus improving HRQoL. This being a pilot study, further research is recommended to investigate the benefits of combining nonpharmacological interventions for women with breast cancer to reduce their treatment-related menopausal symptoms.
authors.affiliation: 1Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia 2Division of Cancer Services, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Australia 3Kim Walters Choices Program, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Debra J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Charrlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Seib
authors.forename: Alexandra L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: Patsy
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yates
authors.forename: Janine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Porter-Steele
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McGuire
authors.forename: Leonie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Young
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008593:Menopause / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome