Expressive Writing and Adjustment to Metastatic Breast Cancer

Completed

• Conditions: Metastatic Breast Cancer
• Interventions: Behavioral: Writing Intervention

• Registration Number: NCT00624156
• Lead Sponsor: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Brief Summary

We are doing this study to see if writing about life experiences helps women adjust to breast cancer that has spread. We will compare two groups. One group will write about their breast cancer experience. The other will write about their daily activities. What we learn from this study may help us to find new ways to help women cope with breast cancer that has spread.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2008-02
• Study First Submitted: 2008-02-15
• Study First Submitted QC: 2008-02-25
• Study First Posted: 2008-02-26
• Primary Completion: 2012-01
• Study Completion: 2012-01
• Status Verified: 2015-10
• Last Update Submitted: 2015-10-28
• Last Update Posted: 2015-10-30

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: Female
• Target Recruitment: 98

Inclusion Criteria

• Women with Stage IV breast cancer
• Receiving cancer care at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
• At least 18 years of age
• Can speak, read, and write in English
• In the judgment of consenting professionals able to provide informed consent
• Score of 4 or higher on the distress thermometer (established cutoff score for probable distress; see Jacobsen et al., 2005)

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Exclusion Criteria

• Significant psychiatric or cognitive impairment (dementia/delirium, retardation, psychosis) that in the judgment of the investigators will preclude providing informed consent and participating in the intervention
• Currently engaging in expressive writing (e.g., journal writing that involves expressing one's feelings) on a daily basis
• Currently participating in intervention trials with similar endpoints • Male

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Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
1	Writing Intervention	emotional disclosure writing intervention
2	Writing Intervention	control writing

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Determine the potential utility of expressive writing for enhancing existential well-being (i.e., increasing a sense of meaning and peace and reducing demoralization) among women with metastatic breast cancer.	conclusion of the study

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Determine the potential utility of expressive writing for reducing distress (i.e., depressive symptoms, anxiety, cancer-specific and general distress) among women with metastatic breast cancer.	conclusion of the study

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; 🇺🇸 New York, New York, United States