Metabolomic Evaluation of Psycho-surgical Synergy on Body Image Restoration After Breast Cancer
试验速览
- 阶段
- 不适用
- 状态
- 招募中
- 发起方
- 入组人数
- 80
- 试验地点
- 2
- 主要终点
- Change of Anxiety Levels
研究概览
简要总结
The aim of the present study is to verify the effects of a psychological-clinical intervention supported by the technique of expressive writing, on the post-operative course in terms of mental and physical health in patients undergoing surgical mastectomy treatment with post-oncological breast reconstruction. In particular, it is hypothesised that patients undergoing psychological, emotional and social well-being in the phase following surgical treatment, together with an improvement in the inflammatory profile and a possible change in the tryptophan/kynurenine ratio and cortisol.
For this purpose, the recruited patients will be randomly divided into two groups. The first experimental group will consist of 10 patients with an indication for reconstruction using autologous tissues (DIEP, FALD) and 10 patients with an indication for reconstruction using the immediate prosthesis technique who will carry out the psychological-clinical intervention focusing on expressive writing about their experience of the surgical treatment.
The psychological-clinical intervention includes five interviews interspersed with three days of expressive writing by Pennebaker (1986).
The writing task consists of writing about a traumatic experience or an event significant to the person, for a controlled period of time (usually 15 to 30 minutes) and on consecutive days (2 to 3 days).
The second control group will consist of 10 patients with an indication for reconstruction using autologous tissues (DIEP, FALD) and 10 patients with an indication for reconstruction using the immediate prosthesis technique who will not undergo any kind of psychological-clinical intervention and will be able to apply for the latter at the end of the research.
In order to verify the effectiveness of the psychological-clinical intervention, the patients will undergo a psychological evaluation (anxiety, depression, alexithymia, distress, resilience, hope for the future, quality of life, body image, psychological and affective experiences related to breast reconstruction) and a survey of physiological variables (inflammatory response, ratio tryptophan/kynurenine ratio and salivary cortisol) at the various times envisaged in the study: T0 (1 month pre-surgery mastectomy with breast reconstruction), T1(the day after the end of the psychological-clinical intervention), T2 (3 months post psychological-clinical intervention) and T3 (6 months post psychological-clinical intervention).
详细描述
Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer globally and is the leading cause of cancer death among women of any age after puberty. Often the diagnosis and treatments of this disease coincide with a long-term worsening of psychophysical well-being, with the following , with consequent impacts on quality-of-life. Among the different treatments, mastectomy with breast reconstruction seems to have relevant effects on psychosocial aspects.
Women with breast cancer show symptoms such as distress, anxiety, depression, and hopelessness for the future, especially between the preliminary diagnosis and the reconstruction surgery.
Furthermore, the psychological and emotional impact concomitant to the treatment pathway can be influenced by the perception of one's body image and aspects related to sexuality.
In cancer patients, this psychological distress can be associated with neurophysiological changes, where an acute state of stress can lead to increased cortisol levels and stimulation of the inflammatory response, thereby increasing the release of numerous pro-inflammatory cytokines and interleukins. All of this may influence the conversion of the essential amino acid tryptophan and its consequent conversion to kynurenine. This psychophysiological interaction appears to play a key role in breast cancer development, progression, metastasis, and therapeutic outcome. Currently, there is evident the need to include a psychological-clinical intervention, supported by the expressive writing technique, within the treatment process for women undergoing surgical mastectomy treatment with breast reconstruction, to bring about an increase in patients' awareness and efficiency and improve their general health status. Moreover, the psychological-clinical intervention could modulate the complex metabolic and inflammatory responses of the body that characterize the oncological condition, going to improve psychophysical well-being.
The main objective of this study is to verify the effects of a psychological-clinical intervention supported by the expressive writing technique, on the post-operative course in terms of mental and physical health in patients undergoing post-oncological breast reconstruction. In particular, the present study intends to combine the evaluation of the therapeutic process through specific psychological scales with the variations of the phenotypic profile, based on the evaluation by Point Of Care Testing (POCT) of physiological parameters of interest, such as the values of inflammatory markers (Serum Amyloid A and IL-6), the tryptophan/kynurenine ratio and cortisol levels. It is hypothesised that patients undergoing the psychological-clinical intervention improve their psychological, emotional, and social well-being in the phase following the surgical treatment, together with an improvement in the inflammatory profile and a possible change in the tryptophan/kynurenine ratio and cortisol.
研究设计
- 研究类型
- Interventional
- 分配方式
- Randomized
- 干预模型
- Parallel
- 主要目的
- Treatment
- 盲法
- Single (Participant)
入排标准
- 年龄范围
- 18 Years 至 —（Adult, Older Adult）
- 性别
- Female
- 接受健康志愿者
- 否
入选标准
- •Presence of diagnosis of breast cancer
- •indication to undergo surgical mastectomy treatment
- •Italian nationality
- •level of education not lower than a secondary school diploma, ensuring sufficient writing skills.
排除标准
- •the occurrence of metastases and/or relapse during the study phase,
- •the refusal of patients to undergo reconstruction treatment
- •the presence of existing psychopathological diagnosis
结局指标
主要结局
Change of Anxiety Levels
时间窗: 6 months
In order to test any variation in anxiety levels all participants completed State-Trait Anxiety Inventory - STAI in the pre-operative phase (T0), on the day after the end of the clinical psychological intervention (T1) and at the 3-month (T2) and 6-month follow-ups (T3). The scores between 80-71 represent very high level of state and trait anxiety, 70-51 represent medium-high level, 50-31 represent medium-low level and 30-20 none or very low level. We expected lower level of anxiety in those who carried out clinical psychology intervention with expressive writing task.
Change of People's Dispositional Optimism
时间窗: 6 months
In order to investigate how optimistic or pessimistic people feel about the future, all participants completed Life Orientation Test Revised - LOT-R in the pre-operative phase (T0), on the day after the end of the clinical psychological intervention (T1) and at the 3-month (T2) and 6-month follow-ups (T3). Scores range from zero to 24; higher scores indicate greater optimism and lower scores indicate lower optimism, often referred to as pessimism. We will expect higher level of optimism in those who carried out clinical psychology intervention with expressive writing task.
Change of Hopelessness
时间窗: 6 months
In order to investigate hope for the future in the participants, the Beck Hopelessness Scale - BHS will be administered in the pre-operative phase (T0), on the day after the end of the clinical psychological intervention (T1) and at the 3-month (T2) and 6-month follow-ups (T3). Higher scores indicate the increased respondent's negative expectations for the future. We will expect lower level of negative attitudes, or pessimism, about the future in those who carried out clinical psychology intervention with expressive writing task.
Change of Breast Cancer Core
时间窗: 6 months
In order to investigate expectations, results and experience of women undergoing breast cancer surgery, all participants completed BREAST-Q in the pre-operative phase (T0), on the day after the end of the clinical psychological intervention (T1) and at the 3-month (T2) and 6-month follow-ups (T3). We will expect greater satisfaction and better health-related quality of life in those who carried out clinical psychology intervention with expressive writing task.
Change of Body Image
时间窗: 6 months
In order to investigate the discomfort related to the one's body image, all participants completed Body Uneasiness Test - BUT in the pre-operative phase (T0), on the day after the end of the clinical psychological intervention (T1) and at the 3-month (T2) and 6-month follow-ups (T3). Higher ratings indicate higher levels of body uneasiness. We will expect lower level of body uneasiness in those who carried out clinical psychology intervention with expressive writing task.
Change of Depressive symptoms
时间窗: 6 months
In order to test any variation in depressive symptoms the Beck Inventory Scale - BDI was administered in the pre-operative phase (T0), on the day after the end of the clinical psychological intervention (T1) and at the 3-month (T2) and 6-month follow-ups (T3). The Scores 0-13 indicate an absence of depressive content, the scores between 14-19 a mild depression, the scores 27-29 a moderate grade depression and the scores 30-63: a severe depression. We will expect a lower level of depression in those who carried out clinical psychology intervention with expressive writing task.
Change of Alexithymia
时间窗: 6 months
In order to evaluate the level of alexithymia the TAS-20 will be administered in the pre-operative phase (T0), on the day after the end of the clinical psychological intervention (T1) and at the 3-month (T2) and 6-month follow-ups (T3). It is a self-administered questionnaire, consisting of 20 items. The scale ranges between 20 to 100 and it allows to identify alexithymic (\> 60), not alexithymic (\< 51) and probably alexithymic patients (51-60). We will expect lower level of difficulties in identifying, recognizing and describing emotions in those who carried out clinical psychology intervention with expressive writing task.
Change of Resilience
时间窗: 6 months
In order to investigate resilience, all participants completed 14-item Resilience Scale - RS-14 in the pre-operative phase (T0), on the day after the end of the clinical psychological intervention (T1) and at the 3-month (T2) and 6-month follow-ups (T3). Higher scores mean superior levels of resilience tendencies. We will expect higher level of resilience in those who carried out clinical psychology intervention with expressive writing task.
Change of Psychological distress
时间窗: 6 months
In order to investigate the impact of oncological disease and treatment in terms of psychological distress, all participants completed Psychological Distress Inventory - PDI in the pre-operative phase (T0), on the day after the end of the clinical psychological intervention (T1) and at the 3-month (T2) and 6-month follow-ups (T3). High scores correspond to a high degree of distress perceived by the subject. We will expect lower level of distress in those who carried out clinical psychology intervention with expressive writing task.
次要结局
- Change of kynurenine/tryptophan ratio(6 months)
- Change of Cortisol(6 months)
研究者
Carlo Lai
Full Professor
University of Roma La Sapienza