ESTRO 2025 - Abstract Book

S636

Clinical - Breast

ESTRO 2025

4599

Digital Poster The Effectiveness of a Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy Group for Managing Menopausal Symptoms in Breast Cancer Survivors Fiona Sinclair 1 , Dr Dougie Marks 2 , Dr Abdulla Alhasso 3 1 Radiography, Beatson Cancer charity, Glasgow, United Kingdom. 2 School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom. 3 Clinical Oncology, Beatson Cancer charity, Glasgow, United Kingdom Purpose/Objective: Menopausal symptoms (hot flushes and night sweats) and mental distress in breast cancer survivors are prevalent issues and an unmet need. Our aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of an in-person intervention for menopausal symptoms, encompassing a 6-week Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) based group programme. Materials/Methods: This paper evaluates the effectiveness of a manualised in-person group CBT programme. Group facilitation was conducted by a health psychologist who had completed a specialist two-day training programme. The intervention was offered to patients who had completed breast cancer treatment and demonstrated a need for menopausal support. Referrals were welcomed by clinicians and patients could self-refer. Participants engaged in a six-week group cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) program. The sessions addressed topics such as understanding and discussing hot flushes and night sweats within the context of breast cancer, identifying and managing triggers, practicing relaxation techniques and paced breathing, learning stress management strategies, applying cognitive therapy to challenge unhelpful thoughts and beliefs, improving sleep and managing night sweats, and sustaining the implemented changes over time. Outcome measures were collected at pre and post intervention.

Primary study outcome measures were: •

menopausal symptoms (Menopause Symptoms Questionnaire MSQ) 1 • quality of life (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy FACT-G) 2 • fear of cancer recurrence (Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory FCRI) 3

Secondary outcome measures were: • anxiety (Generalised Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire GAD-7) 4 • depression (Patient Health Questionnaire PHQ-9) 5

Paired samples t-tests were utilized to analyze the data. Comparisons were conducted between pre- and post intervention time points to determine if changes in outcome measures were statistically significant (p<0.05).

Results: Data from 21 participants were analysed. There were significant improvements pre to post in menopausal symptoms (t(14)=5.79, p<0.001), quality of life (t(14)=2.7, p=0.015), fear of cancer recurrence (t(14)=2.36, p=0.031), anxiety (t(3.68)=14, p<0.001), and depression scores (t(4)=8.76, p=0.017). Conclusion: This study demonstrates the effectiveness of a 6-week CBT-based group intervention in significantly reducing menopausal symptoms, improving quality of life, and alleviating psychological distress among breast cancer survivors. The findings highlight the potential benefits of this intervention in addressing the multifaceted needs of this population. Further research is warranted to explore the long-term effects of this intervention and to identify potential moderators and mediators of treatment outcomes. Additionally, future studies could investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of delivering this intervention in different settings, such as telehealth or community based clinics.