None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
The impact of a breast cancer diagnosis and the different treatments involved can be immense and have long term effects on both a patient’s physical and emotional wellbeing. The use of survivorship care plans (SCPs) has been found to help alleviate the challenges of cancer survivorship. Although SCPs are widely accepted and used internationally, there are no published studies on the relevance and importance of developing a SCP for the New Zealand population. We have created a pilot SCP booklet called “Thriving After Breast Cancer: The years ahead” using information gained from breast cancer patients attending focus groups we organized. The pilot booklets have been published with funding through a Cancer Society scholarship. We would like to assess whether the pilot booklet addresses the needs of breast cancer patients, if it needs to be modified and whether we can offer this booklet to all breast cancer patients in our DHB.
Interventions
Pilot Survivorship Care Plan
The pilot SCP booklet is a 24 page booklet that covers the subjects of: Summary of your diagnosis; Summary of your treatment; Follow up; How your body and mind may change after treatment; Sexuality and fertility after breast cancer treatment; Breast cancer in the family/whanau; Breast cancer in men; Breast reconstruction and prostheses; How can you tell if your breast cancer has come back?; What can you do to stay healthy?; Looking ahead with your family/whanau; Usef
Pilot Survivorship Care Plan The pilot SCP booklet is a 24 page booklet that covers the subjects of: Summary of your diagnosis; Summary of your treatment; Follow up; How your body and mind may change after treatment; Sexuality and fertility after breast cancer treatment; Breast cancer in the family/whanau; Breast cancer in men; Breast reconstruction and prostheses; How can you tell if your breast cancer has come back?; What can you do to stay healthy?; Looking ahead with your family/whanau; Useful contacts and websites. The booklet is a combination of patient information, space for patient’s individual details to be entered, space for patients to make their own notes and pictures. After screening eligible patients for the study and obtaining informed written consent, an appointment will be made for the patient to meet with the CNS Lead Breast Care. She will introduce the patient to the pilot SCP, educate them on its use and complete the sections which record the details of that patient’s individual diagnosis and treatment. The patient will then have that pilot SCP to keep for their personal use. Six months following this appointment the patient will be sent a self-report questionnaire to complete and then return to the study team. All standard follow up care and assessments will continue with their GP and/or Specialist as per standard follow up care.
Sponsors
Regional Cancer Treatment Service, MidCentral Health DHB
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Intervention model
Single group
Primary purpose
Educational / counselling / training
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
1. Females or males with histologically diagnosed early breast cancer who have undergone surgery alone or just completed adjuvant chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy if this is required. Patients can be receiving adjuvant hormone therapy or adjuvant herceptin therapy. 2. Age >=18 yrs. 3. Able to read English proficiently. 4. Willing and able to comply with all study requirements. 5. Signed, written informed consent.
Exclusion criteria
1. Patients who do not have a histological breast cancer diagnosis. 2. Patients with metastatic breast cancer. 3. Patients still receiving adjuvant chemotherapy or radiation therapy. 4. Life expectancy of less than 6 months. 5. Presence of any psychological, familial, sociological or geographical condition potentially hampering compliance with the study protocol and follow-up schedule, including alcohol dependence or drug abuse.
Outcome results
None listed