Original Article
Does access to an information-based, breast cancer specific website help to reduce distress in young women with breast cancer? Results from a randomised trial
Victoria White,
Ashley Farrelly,
Meron Pitcher,
David Hill,
Corresponding Author
Victoria White
Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
Correspondence
Victoria White, Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, 615 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, Vic. 3004, Australia.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorAshley Farrelly
Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorMeron Pitcher
General & Breast Surgery Unit, Western Health, Gordon, Victoria, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorDavid Hill
Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorVictoria White,
Ashley Farrelly,
Meron Pitcher,
David Hill,
Corresponding Author
Victoria White
Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
Correspondence
Victoria White, Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, 615 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, Vic. 3004, Australia.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorAshley Farrelly
Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorMeron Pitcher
General & Breast Surgery Unit, Western Health, Gordon, Victoria, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorDavid Hill
Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorFunding information
This project was funded by a Priority-Driven Collaborative Cancer Research Scheme project grant partnering: Cancer Australia, beyondblue and National Breast Cancer Foundation.
Abstract
To assess the effectiveness of a purpose-built information-based website to reduce distress among young women with breast cancer. A total of 337 participants (Intervention Group [IG] n = 202; Usual Care Group [UCG] n = 177) returned the completed baseline questionnaires (T1). Details regarding accessing the website were provided to IG participants. Follow-up questionnaires were completed: (a) 3 months (T2) and (b) 6 months after baseline (T3). Outcomes included anxiety and depression (primary outcomes), quality of life (QoL) and unmet information needs. About 70% of the IG accessed the website, typically only once (median: 1, range 1–15), spending a median of 19 min (range: 1–315) on the site. Mean levels of anxiety and depression did not differ between the two groups at T1, T2 or T3. While improvement in total QoL was greater in the IG than UCG between T1 and T2, QoL scores did not differ between groups at T3. The number of unmet needs did not differ between the two groups at T3. The intervention was not effective in reducing anxiety, or depression in this group of women. As a high number of unmet needs were identified, other strategies for addressing these needs of young women with breast cancer are needed.
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