Full Title
Enhanced Pain Coping in Cancer
Background
The prevalence of chronic pain among cancer survivors is quite high, with roughly 30 to 40 percent of cancer survivors suffering from chronic pain. Among cancer survivors, breast cancer survivors make up the biggest group. A common class of medications prescribed to breast cancer survivors are aromatase inhibitors. In about half of breast cancer survivors, taking aromatase inhibitors results in aromatase-inhibitor arthralgias, which can cause pain, stiffness, and other symptoms that increase their overall risk of mortality. Mindfulness-based interventions could provide an effective, easily scalable, and non-pharmacological means of managing pain for breast cancer survivors with aromatase-inhibitor arthralgias. EPIC aims to assess whether Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE), a mindfulness-based intervention emphasizing mindful savoring, reappraisal, and mindfulness, can be used to effectively manage cancer pain in breast cancer survivors with aromatase-inhibitor arthralgias.
Aims
- Assess the efficacy of MORE for managing cancer pain in breast cancer survivors with aromatase-inhibitor arthralgias.
- Assess MORE’s impact on patient quality of life and adherence to treatments with aromatase inhibitors.
- Investigate the mechanisms by which MORE provides pain relief for breast cancer survivors with aromatase-inhibitor arthralgias.
Publications
This work is ongoing.
Funding Source: $4,223,153
NIH/NCI