22 Jan Breast Cancer: Cognitive Therapy Plus Hypnosis For Radiation Fatigue

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Guy H. Montgomery, Ph.D.
Director, Integrative Behavioral Medicine Program
Cancer Prevention and Control
Department of Oncological Sciences
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, NY 10029-6574

MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?

Dr. Montgomery: A brief psychological intervention comprised of cognitive behavioral techniques and hypnosis (CBTH) reduced fatigue during, and for up to six months after, radiotherapy in breast cancer patients.

MedicalResearch.com: Were any of the findings unexpected?

Dr. Montgomery: Yes. We were surprised to see that the effects of the CBTH intervention persisted for 6 months.

MedicalResearch.com: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Dr. Montgomery: That CBTH, a brief psychological intervention, can reduce fatigue and improve breast cancer radiotherapy patients’ quality of life.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Dr. Montgomery: It would be interesting to see if these effects persist beyond 6 months, and apply to other radiotherapy patient populations.

Citation:

Randomized Controlled Trial of a Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Plus Hypnosis Intervention to Control Fatigue in Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy for Breast Cancer

Guy H. Montgomery, Daniel David, Maria Kangas, Sheryl Green, Madalina Sucala, Dana H. Bovbjerg, Michael N. Hallquist, and Julie B. Schnur

JCO JCO.2013.49.3437; published online on January 13, 2014;

Last Updated on January 22, 2014 by Marie Benz MD FAAD