ArticleBMC psychology2015
Study protocol of the SWORD-study: a randomised controlled trial comparing combined online and face-to-face cognitive behaviour therapy versus treatment as usual in managing fear of cancer recurrence.
Article in BMC psychology, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
22 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 44 citations in OpenAlex.
- JPOS/JASCC clinical guidelines for psychological distress in adult cancer patients: a summary of recommendations.Japanese journal of clinical oncology · 2026Guideline
- Trial
- Effects of a randomized gratitude intervention on death-related fear of recurrence in breast cancer survivors.Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association · 2016Trial
- Protocol of a randomized controlled trial of the fear of recurrence therapy (FORT) intervention for women with breast or gynecological cancer.BMC cancer · 2016Trial
- Patient engagement strategies in digital health interventions for cancer survivors: A scoping review.PLOS digital health · 2025Article
- Barriers and facilitators for implementation of the SWORD evidence-based psychological intervention for fear of cancer recurrence in three different healthcare settings.Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice · 2023Article
- Article
- Prospective longitudinal study on fear of cancer recurrence in patients newly diagnosed with head and neck cancer: Course, trajectories, and associated factors.Head & neck · 2022Article
- Article
- Responding to COVID-19: New Trends in Social Workers' Use of Information and Communication Technology.Clinical social work journal · 2021Article
- A controlled pilot trial of a nurse-led intervention (Mini-AFTERc) to manage fear of cancer recurrence in patients affected by breast cancer.Pilot and feasibility studies · 2020Article
- Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Fear of Cancer Recurrence: A Case Study.Journal of clinical psychology in medical settings · 2018Article
- Article
- Financial difficulty, worry about affording care, and benefit finding in long-term survivors of cancer.Psycho-oncology · 2018Article
- Development, acceptability and feasibility of a communication skills training package for therapeutic radiographers to reduce fear of recurrence development in breast cancer patients (FORECAST2).Pilot and feasibility studies · 2018Article
- Qualitative Analysis of Emotional Distress in Cardiac Patients From the Perspectives of Cognitive Behavioral and Metacognitive Theories: Why Might Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Have Limited Benefit, and Might Metacognitive Therapy Be More Effective?Frontiers in psychology · 2018Article
- A feasibility study of the Mini-AFTER telephone intervention for the management of fear of recurrence in breast cancer survivors: a mixed-methods study protocol.Pilot and feasibility studies · 2018Article
- Association of worry about cancer to benefit finding and functioning in long-term cancer survivors.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2017Article
- Fear of recurrence or progression as a link between somatic symptoms and perceived stress among cancer survivors.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2017Article
- Towards an evidence-based model of fear of cancer recurrence for breast cancer survivors.Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice · 2017Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundFear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is one of the most frequently cited problems by cancer survivors. More than one third report high FCR, which is a clinical concern due to its association with negative health outcomes. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the efficacy of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) in reducing FCR in high fearful cancer survivors. METHODS/
designThe SWORD-study has a randomised controlled design with two arms. A sample of 104 high fearful cancer survivors (breast, prostate or colorectal cancer) will be recruited from local hospitals. Cancer survivors will be randomised to receive CBT (intervention condition) or treatment as usual (control condition). For those in the intervention condition, the therapy will be individually delivered in a combination of 5 face-to-face therapy sessions and 3 online or telephone sessions by a trained therapist. Furthermore, these survivors will have access to a supportive website (or workbook) throughout the therapy. Survivors in the control condition will not receive the intervention and will not have access to the website. The primary outcome will be severity of fear of recurrence (Cancer Worry Scale). Quality of life (EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30) and general psychological wellbeing will be assessed as secondary outcomes. Assessments will take place at baseline (before random assignment), at 3, 9 and 15 months after the baseline assessment. The study has been approved by an ethical review board. DISCUSSION: If the intervention proves to be effective an evidence-based therapy to manage high FCR will become available for use in clinical practice.
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