ArticleTrials2025
Effects of a theory-driven, disclosure-based family support programme on fear of cancer recurrence for couples coping with breast cancer: protocol for a multi-centre randomised controlled trial.
Article in Trials, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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.
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.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Article
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.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundBreast cancer incidence in women is increasing, although the survival rate remains high. It is regarded as a 'couple disease', with male partners typically the key family member within the household, providing basic care after discharge. Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) represents a leading unmet need for women with breast cancer and their partners, and evidence has indicated that FCR levels are correlated within couples. Although numerous interventions have focused on women's FCR, relatively few have been designed specifically for partners. Given the interdependent nature of FCR between women and their partners, addressing partners' FCR or adopting a dyadic approach may contribute to reducing women's FCR. Consequently, interventions that actively engage both members of the couple are needed.
methodThis is a two-arm, parallel-group randomised controlled trial involving 90 couples coping with breast cancer, who will be randomly allocated to receive either the 6-week family support programme delivered via WeChat (n = 45) or 6 weeks of follow-up WeChat calls (n = 45). Outcomes including FCR, social constraints, intrusive thoughts, avoidance, anxiety, and stigma in women with breast cancer and their partners will be assessed at baseline, 6-weeks post-intervention, and 12-week follow-up assessment. Adherence to disclosure within couples and adherence to physical activity and healthy dietary practice in women will be recorded. Independent t-tests and chi-square tests examine the comparability of groups in terms of demographics and disease-related information produced by randomisation. Generalised linear mixed model (GLMM) will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the family support programme. DISCUSSION: This study will provide rigorous evidence on the effectiveness of the family support programme on FCR for couples coping with breast cancer. Couple-based supportive-oncology programmes, such as the family support programme, that provide educational content on breast cancer-related knowledge, physical activity, healthy diet, psychosocial factors related to breast cancer recurrence, and disclosure in a supportive environment, may be a viable option to reduce FCR, social constraints, and foster cognitive processing for couples coping with breast cancer. This work will address the research gap that limited evidence for interventions that alleviate FCR in women with breast cancer.
trial registrationChiCTR2400087252, registered on 23 July 2024, https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=230362.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.