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Mindfulness Meditation or Survivorship Education in Improving Behavioral Symptoms in Younger Stage 0-III Breast Cancer Survivors (Pathways to Wellness)

Not Applicable
Conditions
Stage IIIB Breast Cancer
Early-Stage Breast Carcinoma
Stage 0 Breast Cancer
Stage IIIC Breast Cancer
Cancer Survivor
Stage IA Breast Cancer
Stage IIIA Breast Cancer
Stage IB Breast Cancer
Stage IIA Breast Cancer
Stage IIB Breast Cancer
Interventions
Other: Educational Intervention
Other: Laboratory Biomarker Analysis
Procedure: Meditation Therapy
Other: Questionnaire Administration
Registration Number
NCT03025139
Lead Sponsor
Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
Brief Summary

This randomized phase III trial studies how well mindfulness meditation or survivorship education work in improving behavioral symptoms in younger stage 0-III breast cancer survivors. Behavioral interventions, such as mindfulness meditation, use techniques to help patients change the way they react to environmental triggers that may cause a negative reaction. Survivorship education after treatment may reduce stress and improve the well-being and quality of life of patients with breast cancer. Mindfulness meditation or survivorship education may help improve the health behaviors of younger breast cancer survivors.

Detailed Description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To evaluate the efficacy of two different types of group interventions (mindfulness and survivorship education), specifically tailored to the needs of younger female breast cancer survivors, in reducing depressive symptoms, compared to a usual care control group.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To compare the efficacy of the two interventions relative to a usual care control group on fatigue, sleep disturbance, and vasomotor symptoms.

II. To examine the efficacy of the two interventions relative to a usual care control group on circulating and genomic markers of inflammation.

III. To explore potential moderators and mediators of intervention efficacy in the two intervention groups.

OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 3 arms.

ARM A (MINDFULNESS AWARENESS PRACTICES \[MAPs\]): Patients attend a mindfulness meditation class over 2 hours once weekly for 6 weeks. Patients then attend in person booster sessions that include guided meditation, questions, and discussion of how to maintain a mindfulness practice over 1 hour once monthly for 3 months.

ARM B (SURVIVORSHIP EDUCATION INTERVENTION \[SE\]): Patients attend a survivorship education class over 2 hours once weekly for 6 weeks. Patients also receive monthly electronic newsletters with tailored information about topics of interest to younger survivors, including cancer-related events in the community and tips about following through on recommendations for healthy living.

ARM C (USUAL CARE/DELAYED TREATMENT CONTROL GROUP): Patients receive usual care for 9 months. Patients are then offered a choice of participating in Arm A or Arm B.

After completion of study, patients are followed up at 3 and 6 months.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
UNKNOWN
Sex
Female
Target Recruitment
96
Inclusion Criteria
  • Women diagnosed with early stage, resectable breast cancer (Stage 0, I, II, or III) prior to age 50, and are within 5 years of diagnosis
  • Have completed all surgery, radiation, and/or chemotherapy treatments at least 6 months previously; may still be receiving trastuzumab or endocrine adjuvant therapy
  • Ability to complete evaluation surveys in English
  • Have evidence of at least mild clinical depression on a standardized screening questionnaire
Exclusion Criteria
  • Has a breast cancer recurrence, metastasis, or another interval cancer diagnosis following the breast cancer (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer)
  • Unable to commit to intervention schedule (6 weekly group meetings)
  • Actively practicing mindfulness meditation
  • Has another serious or chronic medical or psychiatric condition that contributes to substantial physical or emotional disability that would detract from participating in either of the intervention programs or from the measurement of intervention outcomes

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Arm C (USUAL CARE/DELAYED TREATMENT CONTROL GROUP)Meditation TherapyPatients receive usual care for 9 months. Patients are then offered a choice of participating in Arm A or Arm B.
Arm C (USUAL CARE/DELAYED TREATMENT CONTROL GROUP)Questionnaire AdministrationPatients receive usual care for 9 months. Patients are then offered a choice of participating in Arm A or Arm B.
Arm B (SE)Educational InterventionPatients attend a survivorship education class over 2 hours once weekly for 6 weeks. Patients also receive monthly electronic newsletters with tailored information about topics of interest to younger survivors, including cancer-related events in the community and tips about following through on recommendations for healthy living.
Arm C (USUAL CARE/DELAYED TREATMENT CONTROL GROUP)Laboratory Biomarker AnalysisPatients receive usual care for 9 months. Patients are then offered a choice of participating in Arm A or Arm B.
Arm A (MAPs)Meditation TherapyPatients attend a mindfulness meditation class over 2 hours once weekly for 6 weeks. Patients then attend in person booster sessions that include guided meditation, questions, and discussion of how to maintain a mindfulness practice over 1 hour once monthly for 2 months.
Arm B (SE)Questionnaire AdministrationPatients attend a survivorship education class over 2 hours once weekly for 6 weeks. Patients also receive monthly electronic newsletters with tailored information about topics of interest to younger survivors, including cancer-related events in the community and tips about following through on recommendations for healthy living.
Arm A (MAPs)Laboratory Biomarker AnalysisPatients attend a mindfulness meditation class over 2 hours once weekly for 6 weeks. Patients then attend in person booster sessions that include guided meditation, questions, and discussion of how to maintain a mindfulness practice over 1 hour once monthly for 2 months.
Arm A (MAPs)Questionnaire AdministrationPatients attend a mindfulness meditation class over 2 hours once weekly for 6 weeks. Patients then attend in person booster sessions that include guided meditation, questions, and discussion of how to maintain a mindfulness practice over 1 hour once monthly for 2 months.
Arm B (SE)Laboratory Biomarker AnalysisPatients attend a survivorship education class over 2 hours once weekly for 6 weeks. Patients also receive monthly electronic newsletters with tailored information about topics of interest to younger survivors, including cancer-related events in the community and tips about following through on recommendations for healthy living.
Arm C (USUAL CARE/DELAYED TREATMENT CONTROL GROUP)Educational InterventionPatients receive usual care for 9 months. Patients are then offered a choice of participating in Arm A or Arm B.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change in depressive symptoms measured by Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale score2 weeks post-intervention to 6 months

The data will be analyzed using linear mixed effects models, with fixed effects for time and condition and random effects for individuals. Differences between conditions in change over time will be examined by testing condition-by-time interaction terms. All tests will be two-sided. The Hochberg procedure will be applied to the two p-values for each intervention to control the familywise error rate at 0.05.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Mediators of intervention efficacy assessed by questionnaireUp to 6 months

Mediators assessed will include self-efficacy, mindfulness, self-kindness, and rumination.

Moderators of intervention efficacy assessed by questionnaireUp to 6 months

Moderators will include preparedness for survivorship, intervention preference, and childhood adversity. Will be assessed using condition-by-moderator interaction terms in mixed models.

Change in hot flashes measured by the vasomotor symptom severity subscale of the BCPT symptom scales questionnaire.2 weeks post-intervention to 6 months

Will be tested using the mixed modeling approach, and p-values reported both with and without multiplicity adjustment. All tests will be two-sided.

Change in sleep disturbance assessed by Insomnia Severity Index2 weeks post-intervention to 6 months

Will be tested using the mixed modeling approach, and p-values reported both with and without multiplicity adjustment. All tests will be two-sided.

Change in fatigue assessed by Fatigue Symptom Inventory2 weeks post-intervention to 6 months

Will be tested using the mixed modeling approach, and p-values reported both with and without multiplicity adjustment. All tests will be two-sided.

Change in inflammatory biomarkers will focus on laboratory measurements of Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and high sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hsCRP)2 weeks post-intervention to 6 months

Will be tested using the mixed modeling approach, and p-values reported both with and without multiplicity adjustment. All tests will be two-sided.

Trial Locations

Locations (3)

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

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Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Johns Hopkins University/Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center

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Baltimore, Maryland, United States

UCLA / Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center

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Los Angeles, California, United States

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