Video helps adjustment to life after breast cancer
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An educational video may be more effective and far less costly than psychological counseling in helping women adjust to life after breast cancer, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that among 389 breast cancer survivors they followed for a year, those who were given an educational booklet and video generally had greater improvements in emotional distress and fatigue than women who attended two counseling sessions.
The cost of the video was less than $26 per patient, compared with roughly $134 for the video plus individual counseling.
“In this trial, the educational video was the most cost-effective way to improve transition to survivorship,” the researchers report in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
It is not clear why, in general, counseling did not bring further benefits, as had been expected, according to the researchers, led by Dr. Jeanne S. Mandelblatt of the Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
The findings suggest that while counseling may not warrant the expense, giving breast cancer survivors educational videos seems a “reasonable investment,” the researchers write.
The 389 women had been successfully treated with breast cancer surgery. The patients were then randomly assigned to one of three groups: a “control” group that received an educational booklet on life after breast cancer; a group that received the booklet plus a video; and a third that was given the booklet, video and two one-on- one counseling sessions.
The video dealt with physical health issues, like overcoming fatigue, as well as problems with emotional well-being and personal relationships during the adjustment to life after breast cancer.
Six months into the study, women in the video group reported the greatest improvements in emotional distress and fatigue, according to the researchers.
The one exception was seen among women who, at the start of the study, reported being particularly prepared for the transition to survivorship. For them, individual counseling was more effective than the video at easing emotional distress.
This, according to Mandelblatt’s team, suggests that although the video was the most cost-effective approach in general, the best approach for any one woman will still depend on her individual needs.
SOURCE: Journal of Clinical Oncology, April 1, 2008.
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