Abstract
Background: Women with breast cancer experience a significantly higher prevalence of sleep disturbances and insomnia compared with the general population. The experience of persistent sleep disturbance places these women at a higher risk of psychological and physical morbidity and a reduced quality of life. Treatment of sleep in this population is not part of routine care, and often is managed inadequately. This randomised controlled trial will examine the combined effects of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and bright light therapy (BLT) on the symptoms of insomnia, fatigue, and mental health.
Method/design: Women diagnosed with breast cancer who receive intravenous chemotherapy treatment at a quaternary referral metropolitan cancer centre in Melbourne Australia will be recruited. Recruitment will occur after diagnosis and prior to completion of chemotherapy. Eligible women will be randomised to the combined CBT and BLT intervention (CBT+) or relaxation audio enhanced treatment as usual (TAU+). The CBT+ group will receive one face-to-face session on sleep strategies, one subsequent telephone call, and seven email packages containing CBT-based information and strategies. CBT+ participants will also wear Luminette® light glasses for 20 minutes each morning for the six-week duration of the intervention. Women in TAU+ will receive two relaxation audio tracks via email. Outcomes will be measured at multiple points throughout the six weeks. Primary outcomes will be symptoms of insomnia and sleep efficiency, measured using the Insomnia Severity Index and a self-reported sleep diary. Secondary outcomes include objective measures of sleep assessed using the ActiGraph wGT3X-BT; and sleep-related complaints, fatigue and mental health, all assessed using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) measure. Data will also be collected on potential treatment moderators and mechanisms, and adherence to treatment. There will be three-month follow-up measurements of fatigue, sleep-related impairment, sleep disturbance, depression, and anxiety.
Discussion: This is the first randomised controlled trial to combine CBT and BLT for the treatment of sleep disturbances in women with breast cancer. This novel design addresses the multiple causal factors for sleep complaints in this population. Results from this trial will advance knowledge in this field and may have important clinical implications for how best to treat sleep disturbance and insomnia in this population. If effective, the largely email-based format of the intervention would allow for relatively easy translation.
Trial Registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR), Registration number: ACTRN12618001255279. Retrospectively registered on: 25/07/2018, recruitment began: 24/07/2018.
A text message intervention to support women’s physical and mental health after breast cancer treatments (EMPOWER-SMS): a randomised controlled trial protocol
