A randomized controlled trial of a support group intervention on the quality of life and fatigue in women after primary treatment for early breast cancer

When diagnosed with breast cancer, most women's lives change as well as their perspectives on and appreciation of life. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether psychosocial support intervention could influence health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and fatigue during the first year after diagnosis. Of 382 patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer, 191 patients were randomized to an intervention group and 191 patients were randomized to a routine control group. The intervention group received support intervention that lasted 1 week on a residential basis, followed by 4 days of follow-up 2 months later. The support intervention included informative educational parts, relaxation training, mental visualization, and nonverbal communication. HRQOL was measured using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BR23 questionnaires and fatigue with the Norwegian version of the fatigue scale at baseline and at 2, 6, and 12 months after intervention. There was a time-dependent improvement in both functional and symptom scales between baseline and 12 months as measured by the EORTC QLQ-C30 and BR23 questionnaires and there was a decrease in fatigue between baseline and after 2 months with further improvement up to 12 months in both groups, but there were no differences between the intervention and control groups at any point in time. HRQOL improves and symptoms of fatigue decrease over time, but we could not see any additional effect from the rehabilitation program in this setting.