Mini-AFTERc: a controlled pilot trial of a nurse-led psychological intervention for fear of breast cancer recurrence
Abstract Objectives To determine the feasibility and acceptability of implementing the Mini-AFTERc intervention. Design Non-randomised cluster-controlled pilot trial. Setting Four NHS out-patient breast cancer centres in Scotland. Participants Ninety-two women who had successfully completed primary...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Pilot and Feasibility Studies |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-023-01431-x |
| _version_ | 1797355960938790912 |
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| author | Calum McHale Susanne Cruickshank Tamara Brown Claire Torrens Jo Armes Deborah Fenlon Elspeth Banks Tom Kelsey Gerald Humphris |
| author_facet | Calum McHale Susanne Cruickshank Tamara Brown Claire Torrens Jo Armes Deborah Fenlon Elspeth Banks Tom Kelsey Gerald Humphris |
| author_sort | Calum McHale |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Objectives To determine the feasibility and acceptability of implementing the Mini-AFTERc intervention. Design Non-randomised cluster-controlled pilot trial. Setting Four NHS out-patient breast cancer centres in Scotland. Participants Ninety-two women who had successfully completed primary treatment for breast cancer were screened for moderate levels of fear of cancer recurrence (FCR). Forty-five were eligible (17 intervention and 28 control) and 34 completed 3-month follow-up (15 intervention and 21 control). Intervention Mini-AFTERc, a single brief (30 min) structured telephone discussion with a specialist breast cancer nurse (SBCN) trained to target the antecedents of FCR. Outcomes Feasibility and acceptability of Mini-AFTERc and the study design were assessed via recruitment, consent, retention rates, patient outcomes (measured at baseline, 2, 4, and 12 weeks), and post-study interviews with participants and SBCNs, which were guided by Normalisation Process Theory. Results Mini-AFTERc was acceptable to patients and SBCNs. SBCNs believe the implementation of Mini-AFTERc to be feasible and an extension of discussions that already happen routinely. SBCNs believe delivery, however, at the scale required would be challenging given current competing demands for their time. Recruitment was impacted by variability in the follow-up practices of cancer centres and COVID-19 lockdown. Consent and follow-up procedures worked well, and retention rates were high. Conclusions The study provided invaluable information about the potential challenges and solutions for testing the Mini-AFTERc intervention more widely where limiting high FCR levels is an important goal following recovery from primary breast cancer treatment. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT0376382 . Registered on 4 December 2018. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T14:18:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0004dc117a3049888229059bb8730119 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2055-5784 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T14:18:44Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pilot and Feasibility Studies |
| spelling | doaj.art-0004dc117a3049888229059bb87301192024-01-14T12:12:22ZengBMCPilot and Feasibility Studies2055-57842024-01-0110111610.1186/s40814-023-01431-xMini-AFTERc: a controlled pilot trial of a nurse-led psychological intervention for fear of breast cancer recurrenceCalum McHale0Susanne Cruickshank1Tamara Brown2Claire Torrens3Jo Armes4Deborah Fenlon5Elspeth Banks6Tom Kelsey7Gerald Humphris8Medical School, North Haugh, University of St AndrewsRoyal Marsden NHS Foundation TrustLeeds Beckett UniversityNMAHP Research UnitUniversity of SurreyUniversity of SwanseaIndependent Cancer Patients’ VoiceComputer Science, North Haugh, University of St AndrewsMedical School, North Haugh, University of St AndrewsAbstract Objectives To determine the feasibility and acceptability of implementing the Mini-AFTERc intervention. Design Non-randomised cluster-controlled pilot trial. Setting Four NHS out-patient breast cancer centres in Scotland. Participants Ninety-two women who had successfully completed primary treatment for breast cancer were screened for moderate levels of fear of cancer recurrence (FCR). Forty-five were eligible (17 intervention and 28 control) and 34 completed 3-month follow-up (15 intervention and 21 control). Intervention Mini-AFTERc, a single brief (30 min) structured telephone discussion with a specialist breast cancer nurse (SBCN) trained to target the antecedents of FCR. Outcomes Feasibility and acceptability of Mini-AFTERc and the study design were assessed via recruitment, consent, retention rates, patient outcomes (measured at baseline, 2, 4, and 12 weeks), and post-study interviews with participants and SBCNs, which were guided by Normalisation Process Theory. Results Mini-AFTERc was acceptable to patients and SBCNs. SBCNs believe the implementation of Mini-AFTERc to be feasible and an extension of discussions that already happen routinely. SBCNs believe delivery, however, at the scale required would be challenging given current competing demands for their time. Recruitment was impacted by variability in the follow-up practices of cancer centres and COVID-19 lockdown. Consent and follow-up procedures worked well, and retention rates were high. Conclusions The study provided invaluable information about the potential challenges and solutions for testing the Mini-AFTERc intervention more widely where limiting high FCR levels is an important goal following recovery from primary breast cancer treatment. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT0376382 . Registered on 4 December 2018.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-023-01431-x |
| spellingShingle | Calum McHale Susanne Cruickshank Tamara Brown Claire Torrens Jo Armes Deborah Fenlon Elspeth Banks Tom Kelsey Gerald Humphris Mini-AFTERc: a controlled pilot trial of a nurse-led psychological intervention for fear of breast cancer recurrence Pilot and Feasibility Studies |
| title | Mini-AFTERc: a controlled pilot trial of a nurse-led psychological intervention for fear of breast cancer recurrence |
| title_full | Mini-AFTERc: a controlled pilot trial of a nurse-led psychological intervention for fear of breast cancer recurrence |
| title_fullStr | Mini-AFTERc: a controlled pilot trial of a nurse-led psychological intervention for fear of breast cancer recurrence |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mini-AFTERc: a controlled pilot trial of a nurse-led psychological intervention for fear of breast cancer recurrence |
| title_short | Mini-AFTERc: a controlled pilot trial of a nurse-led psychological intervention for fear of breast cancer recurrence |
| title_sort | mini afterc a controlled pilot trial of a nurse led psychological intervention for fear of breast cancer recurrence |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-023-01431-x |
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