BACKGROUND: Higher levels of physical activity (PA) after treatment are associated with beneficial effects on physical and psychosocial functioning of cancer survivors. However, survivors often do not meet the recommended levels of PA. In order to promote PA, we developed a closed internet-based program. The aim of the study is to evaluate the (cost-)effectiveness of an internet-based PA-promotion program, alone or combined with physiotherapy counselling, compared to usual care, on PA-levels of breast or prostate cancer survivors. In this multicenter randomised controlled trial (RCT), breast or prostate cancer survivors who completed their primary treatment 3-12 months earlier, will be randomised to either 6-months access to a fully-automated internet-based intervention alone, an internet-based intervention plus remote support by a physiotherapist, or a control group. The intervention is based on the Transtheoretical Model and includes personalized feedback, information, video's and assignments. Additionally, in a second arm, physiotherapy counselling is provided through monthly scheduled and on-demand telephone calls. The control group will receive usual care and a leaflet with PA guidelines.METHODS: At baseline, 6 and 12 months, the primary outcome (PA) will be measured during 7 consecutive days by accelerometers. Secondary outcomes are self-reported PA, fatigue, mood, health-related quality of life, and costs. The group differences for primary and secondary outcomes will be analyzed using linear mixed models.DISCUSSION: If proven to be (cost)effective, this internet-based intervention, either alone or in combination with telephone support, will be a welcome addition to previous RCT's.TRIAL REGISTRATION: Netherlands trial register (NTR6911), Date of trial registration: December 21, 2017.
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Purpose:To determine which health care provider and what timing is considered most suitable to discuss sexual and relationalchanges after prostate cancer treatment according to the point of view of men and their partners. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among men diagnosed with prostate cancer or treated after active surveillance, who received laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, brachytherapy, intensity-modulated radiotherapy, and/or hormonal therapy. If applicable, partners were included as well. Results In this survey, 253 men and 174 partners participated. Mean age of participating men was 69.3 years (SD 6.9, range 45–89). The majority (77.8%) was married and average length of relationship was 40.3 years (SD 14.1, range 2–64). Out of 250 men, 80.5% suffered from moderate to severe erectile dysfunction. Half of them(50.2%, n = 101) was treated for erectile dysfunction and great part was partially (30.7%, n = 31) up to not satisfied (25.7%, n = 26). Half of the partners (50.6%, n = 81) found it difficult to cope with sexual changes. A standard consultation with a urologist-sexologist to discuss altered sexuality is considered preferable by 74.7% (n = 183). Three months after treatment was the most suitable timing according to 47.6% (n = 49). Conclusions During follow-up consultations, little attention is paid to the impact of treatment-induced sexual dysfunction on the relationship of men with prostate cancer and their partners. A standard consultation with a urologistsexologist 3 months after treatment to discuss sexual and relational issues is considered as most preferable.
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Background: A patient decision aid (PtDA) can support shared decision making (SDM) in preference-sensitive care, with more than one clinically applicable treatment option. The development of a PtDA is a complex process, involving several steps, such as designing, developing and testing the draft with all the stakeholders, known as alpha testing. This is followed by testing in ‘real life’ situations, known as beta testing, and then finalising the definite version. Our aim was developing and alpha testing a PtDA for primary treatment of early stage breast cancer, ensuring that the tool is considered relevant, valid and feasible by patients and professionals. Methods: Our qualitative descriptive study applied various methods including face-to-face think-aloud interviews, a focus group and semi-structured telephone interviews. The study population consisted of breast cancer patients facing the choice between breast-conserving therapy with or without preceding neo-adjuvant chemotherapy and mastectomy, and professionals involved in breast cancer care in dedicated multidisciplinary breast cancer teams. Results: A PtDA was developed in four iterative test rounds, taking nearly 2 years, involving 26 patients and 26 professionals. While the research group initially opted for simplicity for the sake of implementation, the clinicians objected that the complexity of the decision could not be ignored. Other topics of concern were the conflicting views of professionals and patients regarding side effects, the amount of information and how to present it. Conclusion: The development was an extensive process, because the professionals rejected the simplifications proposed by the research group. This resulted in the development of a completely new draft PtDA, which took double the expected time and resources. The final version of the PtDA appeared to be well-appreciated by professionals and patients, although its acceptability will only be proven in actual practice (beta testing)
