Cancer nursing
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Preliminary evaluation of psychoeducational support interventions on quality of life in rural breast cancer survivors after primary treatment.
Although most cancer survivors are at risk for being lost in the transition from treatment to survivorship, rural breast cancer survivors face special challenges that might place them at particular risk. This small-scale preliminary study had 2 specific aims: (aim 1) establish the feasibility of rural breast cancer survivors participation in a longitudinal quality of life (QOL) intervention trial and (aim 2) determine the effects of the Breast Cancer Education Intervention (BCEI) on overall QOL. Fifty-three rural breast cancer survivors were randomized to either an experimental (n = 27) or a wait-control arm (n = 26). ⋯ Data were analyzed using repeated-measures general linear mixed models. Results demonstrated the ability to recruit and retain 53 rural breast cancer survivors, that the experimental arm showed improvement in overall QOL (P = .013), and that there were significant differences in overall QOL between the experimental and wait-control groups at both months 3 and 6. Thus, it appears that at least some rural breast cancer survivors can and will participate in a larger trial and will maintain their participation and that those that do participate experience significant QOL benefit.