A controlled pilot trial of a nurse-led intervention (Mini-AFTERc) to manage fear of cancer recurrence in patients affected by breast cancer

• DOI: 10.1186/s40814-020-00610-4
• Publication Date: 2020-05-07T11:03:17Z
• Authors: Calum T. McHale; Susanne Cruickshank; Claire Torrens; Jo Armes; Deborah Fenlon; Elspeth Banks; Tom Kelsey; Gerald M. Humphris
• Keywords: Medicine (General); RC0254 Neoplasms. Tumors. Oncology (including Cancer); 610; Feasibility; 16. Peace & justice; Brief intervention; 3rd-NDAS; 3. Good health; RC0254; Study Protocol; 03 medical and health sciences; Breast cancer; Fear of cancer recurrence; R5-920; 0302 clinical medicine; SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being; RC0321; Psychological; RC0321 Neuroscience. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry

Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is common in people affected by breast cancer. FCR associated with increased health service and medication use, anxiety, depression reduced quality life. Existing interventions for are time resource intensive, making implementation a National Health Service (NHS) setting challenging. To effectively manage current clinical practice, less intensive required. Mini-AFTERc structured 30-min counselling intervention delivered over the telephone designed to normalise moderate levels targeting unhelpful behaviours misconceptions about recurrence.This multi-centre non-randomised controlled pilot trial will investigate feasibility delivering intervention, its acceptability usefulness, relation specialist nurses (SBCNs) patients. This protocol describes rationale, methods analysis plan this everyday practice. study run four centres NHS Scotland, two control centres. SBCNs at be trained deliver intervention. Female patients who have completed primary treatment previous 6 months screened (FCR4 score: 10‑14). Participants receive within 2 weeks recruitment. audio record discussions participants. Fidelity assessed from recordings. All participants complete three separate follow-up questionnaires assessing changes FCR, life 3 months. Normalisation process theory (NPT) form framework semi-structured interviews 20% all SBCNs. Interviews explore participants' experience study, usefulness factors influencing The ADePT adopted systematically problem solve refine design. Findings provide evidence potential effectiveness, fidelity, practicality inform design development large randomised (RCT). ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT0376382. Registered 4th December 2018, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03763825.