Vilela, L.D., Nicolau, B., Mahmud, S., Edgar, L., Hier, M., Black, M., ... Allison, P.J. (2006). Comparison of psychosocial outcomes in head and neck cancer patients receiving a coping strategies intervention and control subjects receiving no intervention. Journal of Otolaryngology, 35(2), 88–96.
To show the effectiveness of the Nucare program, a short-term psychoeducational intervention for patients with a cancer diagnosis, on the ability of individuals with cancer to cope with their disease
The sample was composed of 101 participants. The sample consisted of a convenience sample of patients with head or neck cancer. Participants had completed cancer treatment. The control group was matched to the internvention group in terms of length of time since diagnosis and stage of cancer.
Feasibility study using a prospective, nonrandomized design
From baseline to follow-up, the test group showed improvement in most quality-of-life scores and statistically significant improvement of depression (1.2 points, p < 0.05). The control group showed deterioration in most of the EORTC QLQ-C30 and HADS scores at follow-up. However, none of the changes was statistically significant at the 5% level.
Intervention delivery is feasible.