What’s better at relieving stress for breast cancer patients after treatment: talk therapy with other breast cancer survivors, or relaxation programs that include yoga and meditation?

It’s a question the BC Cancer Agency, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority, is trying to answer through a three-year study called MINDSET, conducted collaboratively with the Tom Baker Cancer Centre in Calgary.

The study compares two support programs practiced in North America for breast cancer patients: Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Supportive Expressive Therapy (SET). While both MBSR and SET are shown to help improve mood, anxiety and quality of life, this is the first study comparing these therapies to determine if they have different effects on psychological well-being and stress hormone levels.

“Both programs have demonstrated efficacy in reducing stress,” says Dr. Elaine Drysdale, BC Cancer Agency psychiatrist and co-investigator of the study. “We want to find out if one therapy is more effective overall for breast cancer survivors in the short term and in the long term.”

“When the study is completed, we will know which type of therapy most effectively reduces stress immediately, at six months, and a year from the time of intervention,” adds Dr. Drysdale.

Participants will undergo both psychological and physiological stress testing before the support programs begin, immediately after the programs, and at six and 12 month intervals. Participants will answer questionnaires measuring psychological well-being and submit saliva samples, used to measure cortisol levels (a biological measure of stress).

Eligible women will be randomized into either the MBSR group, which offers meditation, yoga and other coping techniques, or SET, which consists of participation in a support group with other breast cancer survivors, led by a professional counsellor. Some women may complete a half-day seminar on stress management, and later be integrated in either the MBSR or SET group.

For Judi Clark – diagnosed with a recurrence of breast cancer in 2007 after undergoing surgery, radiation and hormone therapy when initially diagnosed in 2005 – taking part in the first round of the MBSR group currently underway is making a positive difference in her life.

“The stress doesn’t end with treatment. I didn’t realize that and I wasn’t prepared for it,” says the 56-year-old elementary school principal. “I felt like there’s only so much I could unload on my family and friends, and I needed a way to manage the stress and side effects of treatment.”

“It has been very helpful,” says Clark, describing her experience in the MSBR program. “I’m learning to find one positive thing each day to focus on. I’m taking away with me useful strategies, and I’m also practicing meditation and yoga everyday at home.”

Angela McKeown, a participant in the first round of the SET group who was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 45 in 2001, recalls feeling left in limbo after her treatment ended.

“I was harbouring a lot of fear and depression, but with young children, I felt I needed to put on a strong front,” says McKeown, whose twins were only three years old when she underwent treatment. “It’s a relief to know that I’m not isolated with my symptoms and fears. It feels great to talk openly and to be unguarded. Being a part of the support group has been an extremely positive experience.”

The MINDSET study – open to women who are at least three months post treatment, at least 18 years old, and are still experiencing distress – is sponsored by the Canadian Breast Cancer Research Alliance (CBCRA). Members of CBCRA are Avon Canada, Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, Canadian Breast Cancer Network, Canadian Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute of Canada, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Health Canada, and the Public Health Agency of Canada. Core support for research at the BC Cancer Agency is provided by the BC Cancer Foundation.

For more information, or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Jinny Wu
Communications Specialist
BC Cancer Agency
Tel: 604.877.6272
Pgr: 604.806.2338
Toll-free: 1.800.663.3333, ex 6272
jwu2@bccancer.bc.ca