Fillion, L., Gagnon, P., Leblond, F., Gélinas, C., Sayard, J., Dupuis, R., . . . Larochelle, M. (2008). A brief intervention for fatigue management in breast cancer survivors. Cancer Nursing, 31, 145–159.
The intervention was comprised of four weekly group meetings lasting 2.5 hours and a 5- to 15-minute telephone “booster session.” For one hour, participants were supervised by a kinesiologist or trained research nurse in walking training. A personal exercise program was established for each participant. Participants were encouraged to perform and keep records of their home-based assignments. Participants signed a contractual agreement to comply with recommendations, which were revised each week during the walking session. Participants were provided with ambulatory devices to help monitor their progress. The walking training was followed by a 1.5-hour session of psychoeducative and fatigue management techniques. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, postintervention, and at three-month follow-up.
University hospital in Quebec City, Canada
Participants were undergoing the active treatment phase of care.
This was a randomized, controlled trial.
At baseline, participants had moderate-intensity fatigue and energy levels. Women who received the intervention showed a significantly lower level of fatigue at follow-up compared with women in the control group. Similarly, women who received the intervention experienced statistically significant higher energy levels than the participants in the control group postintervention, particularly at the three-month follow-up.