BACKGROUND: Breast cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy experience symptoms of psychological distress, which may significantly affect their daily functioning, quality of life during treatment, and illness prognosis. There is a need for an integrated therapeutic intervention for the patients. RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: This research study aimed to examine the effects of dance/movement therapy on psychological distress in Chinese breast cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. METHODOLOGY: This study was a randomized control trial. A 90-minute dance/movement therapy program was offered to the intervention group twice weekly for 3 weeks. The intervention comprised a physical and a psychotherapeutic component based on the humanistic client-centered approach with an emphasis on mutual support, stress management, and self-understanding. RESEARCH METHODS: A total of 138 breast cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy (mean age = 48.9 years, SD = 8.3) was recruited from community cancer support centers and randomized into the intervention group (N = 68) or the waitlist control group (N = 70). Participants filled in a self-report questionnaire at baseline and 3-week follow-up. Psychological distress was measured with the Perceived Stress Scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Latent growth modeling was used to model the change in perceived stress, anxiety, and depression across the two time points between two groups. RESULTS: Controlling for confounders such as demographic characteristics and health behaviors, the intervention group reported a significant decrease in perceived stress relative to the waitlist control group (group x time effect = -1.36, standard error (SE) = 0.60, p < .05). No significant differences were observed for anxiety (group x time effect = -0.10, SE = 0.39, p > .05) and depression (group x time effect = -0.46, SE = 0.43, p > .05). DISCUSSIONS: The results suggested that dance/movement psychotherapy may have therapeutic effects in reducing the perceived stress among breast cancer patients receiving radiotherapy.
Journal»American Journal of Dance Therapy. The 47th Annual Conference of the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA), Albuquerque, NM., 11-14 October 2012
Malignant neoplasm was the number one cause of death in Hong Kong in 2010. On average, approximately 5000 females in Hong Kong die from cancer in every year and breast cancer is the leading cancer in Hong Kong women. Although the survival rate of breast cancer is high, breast cancer treatment may be physically and psychologically stressful for patients. Most of the breast cancer patients receive radiotherapy treatment after their surgery or chemotherapy. The likely side effects of radiotherapy include: fatigue, pain and sleep disturbance. Many patients undergoing radiotherapy have some degree of distress, worry and depressed mood. The presented study aimed at establishing the efficacy of dance/movement-based psychotherapy which emphasizes both physiological and psychological aspects of breast cancer patients in managing the radiotherapy-related symptom clusters and quality of life. This study adopted the randomized control trial with waitlist control design. Chinese breast cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy were recruited from local hospitals and randomized into the 6-session dance/movement-based psychotherapy program or waitlist control group. The program emphasized physiological aspects (such as movement targeted on relieving a participant’s arm edema) and psychological aspects (such as movement that encouraged participants to explore their personal space). Participants were invited to complete a set of self-report questionnaires before and after the program. Findings showed that physiological states (fatigue level) and psychological status (depressive mood) significantly improved among Chinese breast cancer patients who joined the dance/movement-based psychotherapy program. The encouraging results not only supported that dance/movement-based psychotherapy was an effective program on reducing radiotherapy-related symptoms among Chinese breast cancer patients, but also informed better practice in patient care services. Patients benefited by participating in the psychotherapy program during their cancer treatment.
A pilot research study was conducted at 2 cancer centers in Connecticut to determine the effect of a dance and movement program on quality of life and shoulder function in breast cancer survivors treated within the prior 5 years. Thirty-five women completed the trial that included a 12-week intervention, using The Lebed Method, Focus on Healing Through Movement and Dance. The study design was a randomized control trial with a wait list control group crossover to active treatment in weeks 13 to 25, with the treatment group receiving the program in weeks 1 to 12, and no program in weeks 13 to 25. Outcome measures were the Breast Cancer Quality of Life (FACT-B), Shoulder range of motion (ROM), and Body Image Scale. FACT-B significantly improved in the intervention group at 13 weeks from 102.0 +/- 15.8 to 116.7 +/- 16.9, compared to the wait list group 108.1 +/- 16.4 to 107.1 +/- 21.3 (time x group effect, P = .008). During the crossover phase, the FACT-B score increased in the wait list group and was stable in the treatment group. The overall effect of the training at 26 weeks was significant (time effect, P = .03), and the order of training was also significant (P = .015). Shoulder ROM increased in both groups at 13 weeks--15 degrees and 8 degrees in the intervention and wait list groups (Time effect, P = .03; time x group, P = .58). Body Image improved similarly in both groups at 13 weeks (time effect, P = .001; time x group, P = .25), and at 26 weeks. There was no significant effect of the order of training for these outcome measures. A dance movement program that addressed the physical and emotional needs of women following treatment for breast cancer substantially improved a breast cancer-specific quality-of-life measure. Larger studies are justified to determine the acceptability of this therapy as part of the continuum of care for breast cancer survivors.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer occurring in women, is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in women after lung cancer, and is the major cause of death for women between the ages of 35 and 45; 180,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed and 50,000 deaths are attributed annually to breast cancer in the United States. The incidence of this disease appears to be increasing—in 1975, 1 out of every 10 women was likely to develop breast cancer; by 1995, the number had risen to 1 out of every 8. The chances for survival, however, have improved—during the 1940s, 78% of women were disease-free 5 years after the onset of the disease; in the 1990s, this rate had risen to 91% (American Cancer Society, 1995). This increasing survival rate has encouraged health professionals to focus greater attention on the quality of survival, including physical, psychological and social adjustment to the trauma of breast cancer.
Breast cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy experience symptoms of psychological distress, which may significantly affect their daily functioning, quality of life during treatment, and illness prognosis. There is a need for an integrated therapeutic intervention for the patients.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVE:
This research study aimed to examine the effects of dance/movement therapy on psychological distress in Chinese breast cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy.
METHODOLOGY:
This study was a randomized control trial. A 90-minute dance/movement therapy program was offered to the intervention group twice weekly for 3 weeks. The intervention comprised a physical and a psychotherapeutic component based on the humanistic client-centered approach with an emphasis on mutual support, stress management, and self-understanding.
RESEARCH METHODS:
A total of 138 breast cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy (mean age = 48.9 years, SD = 8.3) was recruited from community cancer support centers and randomized into the intervention group (N = 68) or the waitlist control group (N = 70). Participants filled in a self-report questionnaire at baseline and 3-week follow-up. Psychological distress was measured with the Perceived Stress Scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Latent growth modeling was used to model the change in perceived stress, anxiety, and depression across the two time points between two groups.
RESULTS:
Controlling for confounders such as demographic characteristics and health behaviors, the intervention group reported a significant decrease in perceived stress relative to the waitlist control group (group x time effect = -1.36, standard error (SE) = 0.60, p < .05). No significant differences were observed for anxiety (group x time effect = -0.10, SE = 0.39, p > .05) and depression (group x time effect = -0.46, SE = 0.43, p > .05).
DISCUSSIONS:
The results suggested that dance/movement psychotherapy may have therapeutic effects in reducing the perceived stress among breast cancer patients receiving radiotherapy.
