Alleviation of Side Effects and Distress in Breast Cancer Patients by Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Oana Cobeanu, Daniel David

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

21 Scopus citations

Abstract

Cognitive and behavioral interventions (CBI) have been used for breast cancer patients with various stages of the disease or undergoing different treatments. However, no quantitative review has summarized their efficacy on the side effects of treatment, distress, and quality of life in the acute treatment setting after diagnosis. This meta-analysis synthesizes data from 19 randomized clinical trials in order to: (a) provide an estimation of overall effect of CBI in breast cancer patients during treatment for breast cancer, i.e., neo-adjuvant and adjuvant treatment; (b) provide average effect sizes on side effects of treatment, distress, and quality of life; and (c) test possible moderators of effect size. The results show that CBI yielded a small effect size overall, specifically on general side effects of treatment, nausea, vomiting, distress, and quality of life. Individual and behavioral interventions seem to elicit better results on distress and on general side effects of treatment, respectively. While more studies are needed with regard to specific side effects (i.e., fatigue, pain, and sleep disturbance), the overall results clearly support the use of CBI in breast cancer patients during treatment.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)335-355
Number of pages21
JournalJournal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings
Volume25
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Dec 2018

Keywords

  • Breast cancer
  • Cognitive-behavioral interventions
  • Treatment side effects

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