Group Therapy for Primary Breast Cancer

Not Recruiting

Trial ID: NCT00220792

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to determine whether women with primary breast cancer who were randomly assigned to receive a brief group therapy would show a greater reduction in mood disturbance over time compared to those randomized to the control condition. We also hypothesized that women who were highly distressed at baseline would show the greatest benefit from participating in a support group, and that therapists with more training and experience would be most effective in reducing distress.

Official Title

A Multicenter Trial of Group Therapy for Breast Cancer

Stanford Investigator(s)

David Spiegel
David Spiegel

Jack, Lulu and Sam Willson Professor of Medicine

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

* : 1) diagnosis of primary, biopsy-proven breast cancer, stages I through IIIA; 2) diagnosis occurred no more than 12 months prior to recruitment; 3) completion of initial surgical treatment; and 4) no detectable disease present.

Exclusion Criteria:

* 1) evidence of metastases beyond adjacent lymph nodes, including chest wall involvement, bone or viscera; 2) recurrence of the cancer prior to randomization; 3) diagnosis of other cancers (except for basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin or in situ cervical cancer) within the past 10 years; 4) any other major medical problems likely to limit life expectancy to less than 10 years; 5) a history of major psychiatric illness for which the patient was hospitalized or medicated, except for a diagnosis of depression or anxiety treated for a period of less than one year; and 6) attendance at a cancer support group for more than two months.

Intervention(s):

behavioral: Brief supportive-expressive group therapy

Not Recruiting

Contact Information

Stanford University
School of Medicine
300 Pasteur Drive
Stanford, CA 94305