Cheryl Harris

Sleep disturbance in adults with cancer: a systematic review of evidence for best practices in assessment and management for clinical practice

Sleep disturbance is prevalent in cancer with detrimental effects on health outcomes. Sleep problems are seldom identified or addressed in cancer practice. The purpose of this review was to identify the evidence base for the assessment and management of cancer-related sleep disturbance (insomnia and insomnia syndrome) for oncology practice. The search of the health literature included grey literature data sources and empirical databases from June 2004 to June 2012. The evidence was reviewed by a Canadian Sleep Expert Panel, comprised of nurses, psychologists, primary care physicians, oncologists, physicians specialized in sleep disturbances, researchers and guideline methodologists to develop clinical practice recommendations for pan-Canadian use reported in a separate paper. Three clinical practice guidelines and 12 randomized, controlled trials were identified as the main source of evidence. Additional guidelines and systematic reviews were also reviewed for evidence-based recommendations on the assessment and management of insomnia not necessarily in cancer. A need to routinely screen for sleep disturbances was identified and the randomized, controlled trial (RCT) evidence suggests benefits for cognitive behavioural therapy for improving sleep quality in cancer. Sleep disturbance is a prevalent problem in cancer that needs greater recognition in clinical practice and in future research.Sleep disturbance is prevalent in cancer with detrimental effects on health outcomes. Sleep problems are seldom identified or addressed in cancer practice. The purpose of this review was to identify the evidence base for the assessment and management of cancer-related sleep disturbance (insomnia and insomnia syndrome) for oncology practice. The search of the health literature included grey literature data sources and empirical databases from June 2004 to June 2012. The evidence was reviewed by a Canadian Sleep Expert Panel, comprised of nurses, psychologists, primary care physicians, oncologists, physicians specialized in sleep disturbances, researchers and guideline methodologists to develop clinical practice recommendations for pan-Canadian use reported in a separate paper. Three clinical practice guidelines and 12 randomized, controlled trials were identified as the main source of evidence. Additional guidelines and systematic reviews were also reviewed for evidence-based recommendations on the assessment and management of insomnia not necessarily in cancer. A need to routinely screen for sleep disturbances was identified and the randomized, controlled trial (RCT) evidence suggests benefits for cognitive behavioural therapy for improving sleep quality in cancer. Sleep disturbance is a prevalent problem in cancer that needs greater recognition in clinical practice and in future research.

Addressing fear of cancer recurrence among women with cancer: a feasibility and preliminary outcome study.

BackgroundEvidence suggests that fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is one of the most frequently cited unmet needs among cancer survivors and is associated with psychological distress, stress-response symptoms, and lower quality of life, as well as increased use of health care resources. Despite these factors, few manualized interventions exist to address FCR among cancer survivors.PurposeTo develop, manualize, and pilot test the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a 6-week cognitive-existential (CE) group intervention designed to address FCR in women with breast or ovarian cancer.MethodsThis study was a single-arm multi-site study with pre-, post-, and 3-month follow-up measurement occasions.ResultsA total of 56 breast or ovarian cancer survivors enrolled in the study; 44 completed the CE group intervention. Following the intervention, women experienced a reduction in the primary study outcome measure of FCR and secondary study outcome measures of cancer-specific distress and uncertainty. They also reported improvements in secondary study outcome measures of quality of life and coping. The effect sizes of the observed changes were for the most part in the medium to large effect range; furthermore, almost all changes were sustained at 3-month follow-up.ConclusionThis brief intervention appears feasible and has shown promising results in addressing FCR and related secondary outcomes of cancer-specific distress, uncertainty, quality of life, and coping; however, it should be further tested using a randomized controlled study design to more definitively assess its efficacy.Implications for Cancer SurvivorsFCR is a near-universal worry for cancer survivors that, when left unaddressed, tends to remain stable over time. This study has important implications for all cancer survivors as it is the first published intervention that provides preliminary evidence of its efficacy in decreasing fear of cancer recurrence.

Psychometric Properties of the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia-11 (TSK-11)

UNLABELLED The aim of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of an abbreviated version of the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK) in a clinical sample of patients with chronic pain. Chronic pain patients (n = 276) seeking treatment at an interdisciplinary treatment center completed self-report questionnaires including the TSK-13, and 2 tests of physical functioning. Four competing models of the TSK were tested using confirmatory factor analysis. Internal consistency was assessed, as were discriminant evidence of construct validity and concurrent criterion-related validity. Incremental validity was assessed with hierarchical multiple regressions controlling for pain severity. The analyses indicated that an 11-item, 2-factor structure best fit the data. The first factor, somatic focus, consisted of 5 items, while the second factor, activity avoidance, was comprised of 6 items. The TSK-11 scales demonstrated acceptable levels of internal consistency, as well as evidence of discriminant, concurrent criterion-related, and incremental validity. Somatic focus uniquely predicted perceived disability while activity avoidance uniquely predicted actual physical performance, controlling for pain severity. The 2-factor structure of the TSK-11 was found to be a brief, reliable, and valid measure of fear of movement/(re)injury for chronic pain patients. We recommend that the TSK-11 be used in future research and in clinical settings. PERSPECTIVE In this study, confirmatory factor analysis identified the 2-factor TSK-11 as the best fitting model of TSK factor structure. The TSK-11 is a brief, reliable, and valid measure of fear of movement/(re)injury for chronic pain patients.

Human Papillomavirus Infection and Anxiety: Analyses in Women with Low-Grade Cervical Cytological Abnormalities Unaware of Their Infection Status

Background Women testing positive for human papillomavirus (HPV) infection experience increased levels of anxiety that have been attributed to fears of stigmatization and developing cervical cancer. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between HPV infection and anxiety in women who were unaware they had been tested specifically for HPV, to determine if any anxiety experienced by HPV-positive women could be due to causes other than learning of test results. Methods This study was nested within a randomised controlled trial of management of women with abnormal cervical cytology conducted in the United Kingdom with recruitment between 1999 and 2002. At baseline, prior to having a sample taken for HPV testing, the results of which were not disclosed, women were assessed for anxiety using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and asked about fears of developing cervical cancer (“cancer worries”); this assessment was repeated at 12, 18, 24, and 30 months of follow-up. Logistic regression and generalized estimating equations were used for the cross-sectional (baseline) and longitudinal analyses, respectively. Results Among the 2842 participants, there was no association between HPV status and anxiety among white women. Among non-white women, however, anxiety was less common among HPV-positive than HPV-negative women (adjusted odds ratio 0.41, 95% confidence interval 0.22 to 0.77). Among non-smokers, cancer worry was more common in HPV-positive than HPV-negative women; the opposite association was observed among ex-smokers. Conclusions Associations between HPV status and anxiety may be explained by factors other than learning of test results and may vary by ethnicity and lifestyle factors.

Erratum to: An exploratory study of the worst-case scenario exercise as an exposure treatment for fear of cancer recurrence

Purpose The worst-case scenario (WCS) exercise is part of a manualized cognitive-existential group intervention for fear of cancer recurrence (FCR). It requires cancer survivors to describe the scenario they most fear when they think about the possibility of their cancer returning and to re-read the scenario daily for 1 week as homework. The purpose of this study was to present this novel clinical treatment for FCR and to examine whether at-home repeated exposure to the WCS was related to pre- and post-therapy FCR levels.

Towards the validation of a new, blended theoretical model of fear of cancer recurrence

Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is defined as “fear, worry, or concern about cancer returning or progressing”. To date, only the seminal model proposed by Lee‐Jones and colleagues has been partially validated, so additional model testing is critical to inform intervention efforts. The purpose of this study is to examine the validity of a blended model of FCR that integrates Leventhals Common Sense Model, Mishels Uncertainty in Illness Theory, and cognitive theories of worry.