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Dance Study for Post-surgical Pain in Breast Cancer Survivors

Assessing the Impact of a 12-week Dance Intervention on Quality of Life, Post-surgical Pain, Fatigue, and Body Image in Breast Cancer Survivors

Status
Recruiting
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06758102
Enrollment
30
Registered
2025-01-03
Start date
2025-01-22
Completion date
2026-05-01
Last updated
2025-11-21

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

Conditions

Breast Cancer, Survivorship, Pain, Postoperative

Keywords

Breast Cancer Survivorship, Breast Cancer Survivor, Survivorship, Pain, Postoperative, PPSP, Persistent Post-Surgical Pain

Brief summary

The purpose of this study is to examine how a 12-week, virtual dance program may improve pain and quality of life in participants with persistent post-surgical pain, or PPSP, following mastectomy or lumpectomy.

Detailed description

This is a single-arm, Phase 1 study is to assess how a 12-week, virtual dance program may improve persistent post-surgical pain (PPSP) and other participant-reported outcomes of quality of life, fatigue, and body image for breast cancer survivors following mastectomy or lumpectomy. The study procedures including screening for eligibility and surveys. Participation in this research study is expected to last up to 16 weeks. It is expected that about 30 people will take part in this research study.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALDance Program

A 12-week, virtual dance program consisting of seated and standing choreography and contemporary style elements will be taught by a certified dance instructor. Sessions will be conducted by the HIPAA-compliant, video-conferencing platform, Zoom.

Sponsors

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

* History of Stage 0-III invasive breast cancer * Having undergone lumpectomy or mastectomy * Moderate to severe persistent post-surgical pain, as defined by pain scores ≥3 on a numerical rating scale (NRS) of 0-10 (10 being the most severe pain) at least 3 months after completion of surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation * Pain scores of 3-4 are categorized as moderate pain; scores of 5-10 are categorized as severe pain26 * Age ≥ 18 years * Able to read and understand English (to complete required questionnaires and participate in classes) * Ability to provide informed consent * Ability to perform seated exercises

Exclusion criteria

* Unstable cardiovascular disease in the last 6 months * Psychiatric disorders or conditions that would preclude participation in the study intervention (e.g. untreated major depression or psychosis, untreated substance use disorder, severe personality disorder) * Metastatic breast or other concurrent cancer * Pregnant * Recent history of attending regular dance or similar classes (e.g. yoga or tai chi classes i.e. 20 or more classes in the past 6 months) * Planned surgery anticipated during the intervention period * History of a chronic medical condition that has the potential to significantly impact upper extremity function (e.g. stroke, Parkinson's disease, Multiple Sclerosis) * Currently enrolled in a physical therapy course * Presence of medical conditions or medications that would prohibit participation in an exercise program

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Breast Symptom Index (FACT-B+4) Total Score from Baseline to 12 WeeksBaseline and 12 weeksAssessed by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Breast Symptom Index (FACT-B+4), a 42-item measure of physical, emotional, social and functional well-being, as well as breast cancer specific symptomology associated with upper extremity dysfunction during the 7 days prior to questionnaire administration. Items are rated on a 5-point Likert-type scale with answers ranging from 0 Not at all to 4 Very much. A total scores range is 0 to 168 with a higher score indicating better quality of life.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in the Brief Pain Inventory Short Form (BPI SF) Score from Baseline to 12 WeeksBaseline and 12 weeksAssessed by the Brief Pain Inventory Short Form (BPI SF), a 9-item measure of the severity of pain and pain interference in the 24 hour prior to questionnaire administrations. A simple numeric rating scale from 0 to 10 is used for item rating, and a total score is the mean of the item ratings. Higher scores indicate greater pain intensity and greater interference with function.
Change in the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy - Fatigue Scale (FACIT-F) Total Score from Baseline to 12 WeeksBaseline and 12 weeksAssessed by the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy - Fatigue Scale (FACIT-F), a 13-item measure of the intensity of fatigue experienced during the 7 days prior to questionnaire administration. Items are rated on a 5-point Likert-type scale with answers ranging from 0 Not at all to 4 very much and items 7 and 8 being reversed score. A total scores range is 0 to 52 with a higher score indicating better quality of life.
Change in the Cancer Rehabilitation Evaluation Scale (CARES) Score from Baseline to 12 WeeksBaseline and 12 weeksAssessed by the Cancer Rehabilitation Evaluation Scale (CARES), a 6-item measure of body image and self-esteem by measuring negative feelings about the body and self-perception in the month prior to questionnaire administration. Items are rated on a 5-point Likert-type scale with answers ranging from 0 Not at all to 4 Very much. A total scores range is 0 to 24 with a higher score indicating greater negative body image and self-esteem.

Countries

United States

Contacts

Primary ContactJennifer Ligibel, MD
jennifer_ligibel@dfci.harvard.edu617-632-3800

Outcome results

None listed

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