Expressive Writing and Adjustment to Metastatic Breast Cancer

Status

Completed

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Observational

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT00624156

Enrollment

Registered

2008-02-26

Start date

2008-02-29

Completion date

2012-01-31

Last updated

2015-10-30

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Metastatic Breast Cancer

Keywords

Breast Cancer

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.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALWriting Intervention

Participants in the emotional disclosure condition will be instructed to write continuously for 20 minutes about their deepest thoughts and feelings regarding their cancer experience.

Study design

Observational model

COHORT

Time perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

FEMALE

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Healthy volunteers

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)

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

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
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

Measure	Time frame
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

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026