Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29915994›Full record

Trial reportSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2019

The impact of an expressive writing intervention on quality of life among Chinese breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Qian Lu, Lu Dong, Ivan H C Wu, Jin You, Jialing Huang, Yan Hu

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
14citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
2.3field-weighted citation impact, top 12% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

14 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 21 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of expressive writing disclosure on cancer and palliative care patients' health-related outcomes.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2023
    Pooled it
  3. Trial
  4. Effects of family-centered positive psychological intervention on psychological health and quality of life in patients with breast cancer and their caregivers.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2023
    Trial
  5. Effect of prolonged expressive writing on health outcomes in breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy: a multicenter randomized controlled trial.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2021
    Trial
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.

Qian LuDepartment of Health Disparities Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA. qlu@mdanderson.org.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7271-5804
Lu DongSchool of Nursing, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Ivan H C WuDepartment of Health Disparities Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA.
Jin YouWuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Jialing HuangBreast Cancer Unit, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.
Yan HuSchool of Nursing, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. huyan@fudan.edu.cn.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center · USFudan University · CNFudan University Shanghai Cancer Center · CNShanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine · CNWuhan University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundExpressive writing interventions are shown to confer physical and psychological benefits for Caucasian cancer survivors. This study evaluated the health benefits of an expressive writing intervention among breast cancer patients in mainland China.

methodsStage I-III Chinese breast cancer survivors undergoing chemotherapy were recruited in Shanghai, China. They (n = 90) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: a positive thinking group (PTC) to write about the positive aspects of their cancer experience; a self-regulation condition (SRC) to write about their stress and coping efforts, deepest feelings, and positive aspects of their cancer experience; or a cancer-fact group (CFC) to write about facts relevant to their cancer experience. All groups wrote for 30 min every week for 4 weeks. Quality of life (QOL) was assessed using the FACT-B at baseline and 1- and 2-month follow-ups. Linear mixed effects models were used to test the hypotheses that the SRC and PTC would improve QOL compared to the CFC.

resultsQOL improved overtime in the whole sample. Contrary to hypotheses, the CFC had increased QOL compared with the SRC from baseline to both the 1- and 2-month follow-ups (ΔQOL = 9.31, p = 0.01, d = 0.44; ΔQOL = 9.45, p = 0.025, d = 0.49). The PTC did not differ from cancer-fact writing but had increased QOL compared with the SRC from baseline to both the 1- and 2-month follow-ups (ΔQOL = 7.44, p = 0.04, d = 0.35; ΔQOL = 11.72, p = 0.06, d = 0.61).

conclusionInterventions through expressive writing about positive experience and cancer facts are feasible and can benefit Chinese cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Indexed as

EmotionsQuality of LifeWritingAdaptation, PsychologicalAdultAntineoplastic AgentsAsian PeopleBreast NeoplasmsCancer SurvivorsChinaFemaleHumansMiddle AgedOptimismPalliative CarePsychotherapyAntineoplastic AgentsChinese breast cancer patientsExpressive writingPositive thinkingQuality of lifeSelf-regulation

Identifiers

PMID29915994
OpenAlexW2808979790

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.