Accepting your Body after Cancer (ABC), a group-based online intervention for women treated for breast cancer: study protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled trial

Introduction Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide. While increasing numbers of women are living beyond breast cancer, treatment-related body image concerns are common and associated with adverse consequences. Nonetheless, rigorously evaluated and effective body image interve...

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Main Authors: Sarah Byford, Abigail Jones, Shelley Potter, Paul White, Diana Harcourt, Helena Lewis-Smith, Patricia Fairbrother
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2025-01-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/1/e097817.full
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author Sarah Byford
Abigail Jones
Shelley Potter
Paul White
Diana Harcourt
Helena Lewis-Smith
Patricia Fairbrother
author_facet Sarah Byford
Abigail Jones
Shelley Potter
Paul White
Diana Harcourt
Helena Lewis-Smith
Patricia Fairbrother
author_sort Sarah Byford
collection DOAJ
description Introduction Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide. While increasing numbers of women are living beyond breast cancer, treatment-related body image concerns are common and associated with adverse consequences. Nonetheless, rigorously evaluated and effective body image interventions are lacking among this group. Accepting your Body after Cancer (ABC) has indicated promise in relation to inperson delivery. However, online delivery may increase accessibility and facilitate sustainability of the intervention. Therefore, we aim to establish the feasibility of conducting a fully powered randomised controlled trial to evaluate online delivery of ABC.Methods and analysis 120 women who have received treatment for breast cancer and are experiencing body image concerns will be randomised equally to either the ABC or standard care control group. All participants in both conditions will receive a body image booklet for people who have had cancer. ABC participants will also take part in a weekly seven-session, group-based cognitive behavioural therapy intervention, delivered online by a psychologist and cancer support specialist. Outcome measures will be completed at baseline and 9 weeks, 20 weeks and 32 weeks post baseline. Quantitative data on recruitment, retention, ABC attendance and questionnaire completion rates will be analysed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data will also be collected to better understand the feasibility and acceptability of the research process and intervention, with data analysed using ‘codebook’ thematic analysis.Ethics and dissemination The study has received ethical approval from the Newcastle North Tyneside Research Ethics Committee (ref: 24/NE/0092). The findings will be disseminated to academic and health professionals via a peer-reviewed publication and presentations at relevant conferences. Results will also be disseminated to participants, national cancer organisations and the general public via accessible reports, online presentations and different communication channels.Trial registration number ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06412341; ISRCTN ISRCTN88199566; IRAS 327507; REC reference 24/NE/0092; funder reference NIHR205415.
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spelling doaj-art-e53184bbdcda4ee8a979cf4f5d262f172025-01-23T07:20:10ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552025-01-0115110.1136/bmjopen-2024-097817Accepting your Body after Cancer (ABC), a group-based online intervention for women treated for breast cancer: study protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled trialSarah Byford0Abigail Jones1Shelley Potter2Paul White3Diana Harcourt4Helena Lewis-Smith5Patricia Fairbrother6King`s College London, London, UKUniversity of the West of England, Bristol, UKUniversity of Bristol, Bristol, UKUniversity of the West of England, Bristol, UKUniversity of the West of England, Bristol, UKUniversity of the West of England, Bristol, UKIndependent Cancer Patients Voice, Bristol, UKIntroduction Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide. While increasing numbers of women are living beyond breast cancer, treatment-related body image concerns are common and associated with adverse consequences. Nonetheless, rigorously evaluated and effective body image interventions are lacking among this group. Accepting your Body after Cancer (ABC) has indicated promise in relation to inperson delivery. However, online delivery may increase accessibility and facilitate sustainability of the intervention. Therefore, we aim to establish the feasibility of conducting a fully powered randomised controlled trial to evaluate online delivery of ABC.Methods and analysis 120 women who have received treatment for breast cancer and are experiencing body image concerns will be randomised equally to either the ABC or standard care control group. All participants in both conditions will receive a body image booklet for people who have had cancer. ABC participants will also take part in a weekly seven-session, group-based cognitive behavioural therapy intervention, delivered online by a psychologist and cancer support specialist. Outcome measures will be completed at baseline and 9 weeks, 20 weeks and 32 weeks post baseline. Quantitative data on recruitment, retention, ABC attendance and questionnaire completion rates will be analysed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data will also be collected to better understand the feasibility and acceptability of the research process and intervention, with data analysed using ‘codebook’ thematic analysis.Ethics and dissemination The study has received ethical approval from the Newcastle North Tyneside Research Ethics Committee (ref: 24/NE/0092). The findings will be disseminated to academic and health professionals via a peer-reviewed publication and presentations at relevant conferences. Results will also be disseminated to participants, national cancer organisations and the general public via accessible reports, online presentations and different communication channels.Trial registration number ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06412341; ISRCTN ISRCTN88199566; IRAS 327507; REC reference 24/NE/0092; funder reference NIHR205415.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/1/e097817.full
spellingShingle Sarah Byford
Abigail Jones
Shelley Potter
Paul White
Diana Harcourt
Helena Lewis-Smith
Patricia Fairbrother
Accepting your Body after Cancer (ABC), a group-based online intervention for women treated for breast cancer: study protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled trial
BMJ Open
title Accepting your Body after Cancer (ABC), a group-based online intervention for women treated for breast cancer: study protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled trial
title_full Accepting your Body after Cancer (ABC), a group-based online intervention for women treated for breast cancer: study protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled trial
title_fullStr Accepting your Body after Cancer (ABC), a group-based online intervention for women treated for breast cancer: study protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled trial
title_full_unstemmed Accepting your Body after Cancer (ABC), a group-based online intervention for women treated for breast cancer: study protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled trial
title_short Accepting your Body after Cancer (ABC), a group-based online intervention for women treated for breast cancer: study protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled trial
title_sort accepting your body after cancer abc a group based online intervention for women treated for breast cancer study protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled trial
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/1/e097817.full
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