The Effectiveness of Mindfulness on Chronic Pain in Breast Cancer Survivors
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Purpose
A recent epidemiologic survey has indicated that approx. 42% of Danish women treated for breast cancer experience negative sequelae in the form of pain following treatment. Chronic pain is known to be associated with impaired social and emotional functioning, and thus presents a particular concern.
Mindfulness-based intervention is among the complementary, psychological treatments, which cancer patients commonly seek out in relation to the course of their illness. Despite the popularity of mindfulness-based intervention among cancer patients, no studies have so far investigated the effect of mindfulness-based intervention on chronic pain in breast cancer patients. While no studies so far have focused on pain, there is evidence to suggest that mindfulness-based intervention is associated with improved psychosocial adaption to cancer. Furthermore, non-cancer research suggests that mindfulness-based intervention is associated with reduced pain experiences.
The aim of this project is to investigate the effect of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) on chronic pain in breast cancer patients. Women who have completed their treatment for breast cancer and who experience chronic pain, will be randomized to an intervention group (MBCT) or a treatment-as-usual control group. All participants will be assessed at the same time points, i.e. before the intervention (baseline), and three times after the intervention/control condition, with the last follow-up 6 months after the intervention. In addition, a number of potential moderators and mediators of the outcome will be explored. For example, recent studies indicate that adult attachment style may constitute an important moderator and/or mediator in the development of pain, and preliminary research has suggested that attachment style may moderate the effect of mindfulness-based intervention.
The results will provide valuable new knowledge about the potential of MBCT as a treatment strategy for chronic pain in breast cancer patients, will contribute to the clarification of underlying mechanisms in the experience of and coping with pain, which could help the development of more effective, individualized interventions.
| Condition | Intervention |
|---|---|
|
Breast Cancer Chronic Pain |
Other: Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Other: Waitlist |
| Study Type: | Interventional |
| Study Design: | Allocation: Randomized Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment Masking: Open Label Primary Purpose: Treatment |
| Official Title: | A Randomized Controlled Trial of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) on Chronic Pain in Women Treated for Breast Cancer |
- Pain [ Time Frame: From baseline until 6 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
Revised McGill Pain Questionnaire Short Form
VAS: pain interference
Additional items: Pain descriptors
- Mindfulness [ Time Frame: From baseline until 6 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire
- Self compassion [ Time Frame: From baseline until 6 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]the Self Compassion Scale Short Form
- Pain Catastrophizing [ Time Frame: From baseline until 6 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]the Pain Catastrophizing Scale
- Depression and anxiety [ Time Frame: From baseline until 6 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale
- Well-being [ Time Frame: From baseline until 6 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]the WHO-5
- Attachment orientation [ Time Frame: Baseline ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]the Experiences in Close Relationships Short Version
- Alexithymia [ Time Frame: From baseline until 6 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]the Toronto Alexithymia Scale
| Estimated Enrollment: | 170 |
| Study Start Date: | September 2012 |
| Estimated Study Completion Date: | September 2015 |
| Estimated Primary Completion Date: | January 2014 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure) |
| Arms | Assigned Interventions |
|---|---|
|
Experimental: Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
This group will receive MBCT for 8 consecutive weeks.
|
Other: Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
MBCT consists of 8 sessions, incl. 1 whole-day session, weekly meetings of app. 2 hours duration. Daily homework (app. 30-45 min). Group format (app. 20 persons pr. group). Two trained instructors will manage the groups, both are MSc cand.psych, PhD. |
|
Waitlist control group
This group is a waitlist control group.
|
Other: Waitlist
Waitlist: participants are offered the intervention (MBCT) after the completion of the main study
|
Eligibility| Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years and older |
| Genders Eligible for Study: | Female |
| Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- A timeframe of >3 months from surgery, radiation- and chemotherapy and a minimum score of >3 on a pain scale from 0-10 corresponding to moderate pain
Exclusion Criteria:
- Breast cancer recurrence, bilateral breast cancer, other cancer, psychiatric illnesses, insufficient ability to speak and understand Danish, and chronic pain otherwise associated with the musculoskeletal system
Contacts and Locations| Contact: Maja Johannsen, PhD fellow, MSc psychology | 004587165956 | majajo@psy.au.dk |
| Contact: Ea Falk Thostrup, Secretary | 004587162674 | ea.thostrup@aarhus.rm.dk |
| Denmark | |
| Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital | Not yet recruiting |
| Aarhus, Denmark, 8000 | |
| Contact: Ea Falk Thostrup, Secretary 004587162674 ea.thostrup@aarhus.rm.dk | |
| Principal Investigator: Maja Johannsen, PhD fellow, MSc Psychology | |
| Principal Investigator: Robert Zachariae, Professor, MDSci., MSc. | |
| Principal Investigator: | Maja Johannsen, PhD-fellow, MSc psychology | Unit for Psychooncology and Health Psychology, Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital |
| Principal Investigator: | Robert Zachariae, Professor, MDSci., MSc | Unit for Psychooncology and Health Psychology, Aarhus University Hospital and Aarhus University |
More Information
No publications provided
| Responsible Party: | University of Aarhus |
| ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT01674881 History of Changes |
| Other Study ID Numbers: | EPoS-1 |
| Study First Received: | August 24, 2012 |
| Last Updated: | September 20, 2012 |
| Health Authority: | Denmark: Ethics Committee |
Keywords provided by University of Aarhus:
|
Mindfulness breast cancer chronic pain mediators distress |
Breast cancer survivors Effectiveness of MBCT on chronic pain Potential mediators and moderators Effectiveness of MBCT on psychological symptoms |
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
|
Breast Neoplasms Neoplasms by Site Neoplasms Breast Diseases Skin Diseases |
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on June 18, 2013