Tomei Christina, Lebel Sophie, Maheu Christine, Mutsaers Brittany
School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier Private, Room 4016, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada.
Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University, 3506 University Street, Room 401-A, Wilson Hall, Montreal, QC, H3A 2A7, Canada.
Support Care Cancer. 2016 Jul;24(7):2815-8. doi: 10.1007/s00520-016-3103-8. Epub 2016 Feb 2.
Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is defined as "the fear or worry that the cancer will return or progress in the same area or another part of the body." FCR is associated with impaired functioning and lower quality of life in cancer patients. A cognitive-existential (CE) manualized group intervention for women with FCR showed a moderate effect size in reducing FCR, cancer-specific distress, and maladaptive coping. However, it appears that no individual intervention for FCR exists for both men and women. Therefore, the group intervention was adapted to an individual format.
This study was conducted to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and satisfaction of the individual intervention. The intervention was pilot-tested on n = 3 cancer survivors. The 6-week sessions included cognitive restructuring, structured exercises, and relaxation techniques. Participants completed questionnaire packages during a 4-week baseline period and throughout the 6-week intervention. Participants completed exit interviews following the intervention.
General trends in baseline and intervention stages were compared. Based on the line graphs, the individual intervention appears to help survivors lower their elevated FCR and cancer-specific distress. Qualitative exit interviews conducted with the study participants demonstrated that the intervention was acceptable and satisfactory.
This clinical intervention allows researchers to systematically focus on evidence-based treatments for managing FCR, and displays the availability of treatment options in different therapeutic modalities. However, further research is needed to identify the active therapeutic ingredients and mechanisms of change in the intervention. Overall, intervention studies suggest it is possible to help cancer survivors manage their FCR.
癌症复发恐惧（FCR）被定义为“对癌症会在身体的同一部位或其他部位复发或进展的恐惧或担忧”。FCR与癌症患者的功能受损和生活质量降低有关。一项针对患有FCR的女性的认知-存在主义（CE）手册化团体干预在减轻FCR、癌症特异性困扰和适应不良应对方面显示出中等效应量。然而，似乎不存在针对男性和女性FCR的个体干预措施。因此，将团体干预调整为个体形式。
进行本研究以确定个体干预的可行性、可接受性和满意度。对n = 3名癌症幸存者进行了干预试点测试。为期6周的课程包括认知重构、结构化练习和放松技巧。参与者在为期4周的基线期以及整个6周的干预过程中完成了问卷包。干预结束后，参与者完成了退出访谈。
比较了基线期和干预阶段的总体趋势。根据折线图，个体干预似乎有助于幸存者降低其升高的FCR和癌症特异性困扰。对研究参与者进行的定性退出访谈表明，该干预是可接受的且令人满意的。
这种临床干预使研究人员能够系统地专注于基于证据的FCR管理治疗方法，并展示了不同治疗方式中治疗选择的可用性。然而，需要进一步研究以确定干预中起作用的治疗成分和变化机制。总体而言，干预研究表明有可能帮助癌症幸存者管理他们的FCR。
