Role of Psychotherapeutic Intervention among Breast Cancer Survivors on Quality of Life

The present study ts a venture to unfold the effects of a group-based Cognitive behavioural stress management intervention (CBSM) among Indian early-breast cancer survivors on quality of life. In India, breast cancer is the most widespread malignancy and the second leading cause of cancer death in adult females. With enhanced early detection and treatment, great numbers of breast cancer patients are surviving several years after diagnosis with declining quality of life. Quality of life of women is considered an important issue in the treatment of women with breast cancer. Psychosocial interventions have demonstrated efficacy for serving patients and families confront the many fears that come up during this hard time. Subjects of the present research were 60 women survivors of early-breast cancer. To study the problem pre and post experimental design with control group were opted. The experimental group was received weekly 2 hrs sittings for a period of 10 week group-based Cognitive behavioural stress management intervention while the control group received only a 1-day psychoeducational group seminar. The Indian adaptation of EORTC QLQ-C 30, version 3.0 and its breast cancer supplementary measure QLQ-BR23 questionnaires were administered to Pre, post and follow-up study for the assessment of quality of life (QoL). Pre, post and follow-up study data were analysed by implying one-way repeated-measures analysis of vanance (ANOVA) and paired samples T-tests. The result revealed that group-based Cognitive behavioural stress management intervention was effective and produced significant effects on post and follow-up experimental group's survivor's quality of life. In contrast, minimal change was observed in control group survivor's quality of life. It may be concluded that Breast cancer survivors truly need psychotherapeutic support and in particular a group-based psychotherapeutic interventions can substantially improve the quality of life of breast cancer survivors. The CBSM intervention programme represents a novel tool for the betterment of breast cancer survivor's quality of life.