The Impact of Improvisational Theater/Comedy on Well-Being Among Breast Cancer Survivors: A Pilot Feasibility Study

188 Background: Although breast cancer is more commonly diagnosed in post-menopausal women, there are a significant number of survivors diagnosed at age 45 or younger. Compared to older survivors, younger survivors have significantly more problems with depression sexual functioning, marital satisfaction, and overall well-being, but there is little research on the partners of these younger survivors. The purpose of this study is to determine if the partners of young survivors experience more problems with depression, sexual functioning, marital satisfaction, and overall well-being than partners of age-matched controls. Methods: Survivors and partners (n=227) were enrolled in a large cross-sectional study, executed through the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group. Eligibility for survivors included being 45 or under at diagnosis, 3 to 8 years from treatment without a breast cancer recurrence, and with similar chemotherapy treatment regimens. Survivors identified age-matched acquaintance controls without breast cancer. These age matched controls and their partners (n=170) were also included. All groups completed a survey assessing demographic characteristics, depression, sexual functioning (enjoyment and difficulty), marital satisfaction, and overall well-being. The partners of both young survivors and acquaintance controls were compared on all study variables adjusting for demographic variables. Results: Partners of young survivors reported significantly more depression (effect size [ES] = -0.23, p=.0199), worse sexual functioning as indicated by lower enjoyment (ES= 0.32, p=.0019) and more sexual difficulty (ES= -0.24, p=.0164), lower marital satisfaction (ES=0.24, p=.0189), and lower overall well-being (ES= 0.40, p=.0001). Conclusions: Partners of breast cancer survivors suffer from problems similar to breast cancer survivors. Further research is needed to fully understand the impact of a breast cancer diagnosis on both the partner as well as the survivor, especially when problems exist that are related to the dyadic relationship.

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Potential Therapeutic Utility of Hypoxic‐Exercise Training Among Obese Breast Cancer Survivors with Limited Mobility: Pilot/Feasibility Study

The FASEB Journal ◽

10.1096/fasebj.2019.33.1_supplement.841.5 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 33 (S1) ◽

Author(s):

Stephen J. Carter ◽

Gary R. Hunter ◽

Lyse A. Norian ◽

Laura Q. Rogers

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Exercise Training ◽

Cancer Survivors ◽

Feasibility Study ◽

Breast Cancer Survivors ◽

Limited Mobility ◽

Pilot Feasibility Study ◽

Hypoxic Exercise ◽

Therapeutic Utility

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The Impact of Changes in Employment Status on Psychosocial Well-Being: A Study of Breast Cancer Survivors

Journal of Psychosocial Oncology ◽

10.1080/07347330802115400 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 26 (3) ◽

pp. 1-17 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Kathleen Kearney Mahar ◽

Karlynn BrintzenhofeSzoc ◽

Joseph J. Shields

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Cancer Survivors ◽

Employment Status ◽

Breast Cancer Survivors ◽

Well Being ◽

The Impact

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Fear of Recurrence in Turkish Breast Cancer Survivors: A Qualitative Study

Journal of Transcultural Nursing ◽

10.1177/1043659618771142 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 30 (2) ◽

pp. 146-153

Author(s):

Figen Şengün İnan ◽

Besti Üstün

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Cancer Survivors ◽

Breast Cancer Survivors ◽

Well Being ◽

Fear Of Recurrence ◽

Semistructured Interviews ◽

And Coping ◽

The Impact

Purpose: Fear of recurrence (FOR) of cancer is a distressing symptom and can negatively affect breast cancer survivors’ quality of life and psychological well-being. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore Turkish breast cancer survivors’ experiences related to FOR. Design: The data were collected through semistructured interviews, which were conducted with 12 breast cancer survivors. Results: The data were categorized into four themes: the quality of fear, triggers, effects on life, and coping. FOR survivors’ lives in multiple aspects, and the women found it difficult to manage their fear. Implications: Nurses should be aware of FOR in survivors during follow-up care. In addition, it is essential to consider the impact of FOR on life, and survivors should be referred to appropriate resources and support services.

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The impact of cognitive impairment on self‐regulatory styles in breast cancer survivors

Psycho-Oncology ◽

10.1002/pon.5633 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jacqueline H. Becker ◽

Charlotte Ezratty ◽

Nusrat Jahan ◽

Mita Goel ◽

Yael Tobi Harris ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Cancer Survivors ◽

Breast Cancer Survivors ◽

Regulatory Styles ◽

The Impact

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Randomized Exercise Trial of Aromatase Inhibitor–Induced Arthralgia in Breast Cancer Survivors

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2014.57.1547 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 33 (10) ◽

pp. 1104-1111 ◽

Cited By ~ 145

Author(s):

Melinda L. Irwin ◽

Brenda Cartmel ◽

Cary P. Gross ◽

Elizabeth Ercolano ◽

Fangyong Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Cancer Survivors ◽

Strength Training ◽

Aerobic Exercise ◽

Usual Care ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Joint Pain ◽

Breast Cancer Survivors ◽

Pain Scores ◽

The Impact

Purpose Arthralgia occurs in up to 50% of breast cancer survivors treated with aromatase inhibitors (AIs) and is the most common reason for poor AI adherence. We conducted, in 121 breast cancer survivors receiving an AI and reporting arthralgia, a yearlong randomized trial of the impact of exercise versus usual care on arthralgia severity. Patients and Methods Eligibility criteria included receiving an AI for at least 6 months, reporting ≥ 3 of 10 for worst joint pain on the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), and reporting < 90 minutes per week of aerobic exercise and no strength training. Participants were randomly assigned to exercise (150 minutes per week of aerobic exercise and supervised strength training twice per week) or usual care. The BPI, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) index, and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire were completed at baseline and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Intervention effects were evaluated using mixed-model repeated measures analysis, with change at 12 months as the primary end point. Results Over 12 months, women randomly assigned to exercise (n = 61) attended 70% (± standard deviation [SD], 28%) of resistance training sessions and increased their exercise by 159 (± SD, 136) minutes per week. Worst joint pain scores decreased by 1.6 points (29%) at 12 months among women randomly assigned to exercise versus a 0.2-point increase (3%) among those receiving usual care (n = 60; P < .001). Pain severity and interference, as well as DASH and WOMAC pain scores, also decreased significantly at 12 months in women randomly assigned to exercise, compared with increases for those receiving usual care (all P < .001). Conclusion Exercise led to improvement in AI-induced arthralgia in previously inactive breast cancer survivors.

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