Clinical trial · Observational
A Communication Skills Package to Prevent Fear of Cancer Recurrence
Development and Feasibility of a Communication Training Package for Therapeutic Radiographers to Manage Emotional Talk With Breast Cancer Patients in Treatment
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
This study (FORECAST 2) builds upon the work of the successful pilot study (FORECAST) that found some evidence that breast cancer patients' fears of cancer recurrence (FCR) were sensitive to the communication exchange with therapeutic radiographers during weekly review appointments. The aim of FORECAST 2 is to co-design and pilot a communication training package for therapeutic radiographers to help them manage emotional talk with breast cancer patients who are undergoing treatment, with the intention to minimise patients' development of FCR during this trajectory.
Conditions
Conditions (1)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breast Cancer | Malignant Breast Neoplasm | CURATED_EXACT | 0.92 |
Interventions
Interventions (1)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Communication Skills Training Package (KEW) | Other | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (1)
- label
- Breast cancer radiation therapy
- description
- Observation over a period of all treatment sessions for radiotherapy.
- interventionNames
- Other: Communication Skills Training Package (KEW)
Primary outcomes (1)
- measure
- Fear of Recurrence level - FCR7
- timeFrame
- 6-8 weeks after treatment
- description
- The Fear of Recurrence level scale (FCR7) is a 7-item self-report measure of patients' fear of cancer recurrence. It has been used previously in a national study and the FORECAST pilot. It shows high internal consistency (Cronbach's α of 0.92) and its construct validity has been demonstrated through association with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) (Humphris et al., 2018).
Secondary outcomes (5)
- measure
- Fear of Recurrence level - FCR3
- timeFrame
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- Female
- Minimum age
- 18 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: * Female patients who are diagnosed with breast cancer, age 18+ Exclusion Criteria: * Under 18 years old * Male * Known psychiatric illness * Receiving palliative radiotherapy (non-curative) * Unable to communicate in English
References
Publications (9)
- BACKGROUNDCrawford JR, Henry JD. The positive and negative affect schedule (PANAS): construct validity, measurement properties and normative data in a large non-clinical sample. Br J Clin Psychol. 2004 Sep;43(Pt 3):245-65. doi: 10.1348/0144665031752934. PMID 15333231
- BACKGROUNDMercer SW, Maxwell M, Heaney D, Watt GC. The consultation and relational empathy (CARE) measure: development and preliminary validation and reliability of an empathy-based consultation process measure. Fam Pract. 2004 Dec;21(6):699-705. doi: 10.1093/fampra/cmh621. Epub 2004 Nov 4. PMID 15528286
- BACKGROUNDMeakin R, Weinman J. The 'Medical Interview Satisfaction Scale' (MISS-21) adapted for British general practice. Fam Pract. 2002 Jun;19(3):257-63. doi: 10.1093/fampra/19.3.257. PMID 11978716
- BACKGROUNDSchrag A, Selai C, Jahanshahi M, Quinn NP. The EQ-5D--a generic quality of life measure-is a useful instrument to measure quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2000 Jul;69(1):67-73. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.69.1.67. PMID 10864606
- BACKGROUNDWalters SJ, Brazier JE. Comparison of the minimally important difference for two health state utility measures: EQ-5D and SF-6D. Qual Life Res. 2005 Aug;14(6):1523-32. doi: 10.1007/s11136-004-7713-0. PMID 16110932
- BACKGROUNDHumphris GM, Watson E, Sharpe M, Ozakinci G. Unidimensional scales for fears of cancer recurrence and their psychometric properties: the FCR4 and FCR7. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2018 Feb 9;16(1):30. doi: 10.1186/s12955-018-0850-x. PMID 29471823
- RESULTBarracliffe L, Yang Y, Cameron J, Bedi C, Humphris G. Does emotional talk vary with fears of cancer recurrence trajectory? A content analysis of interactions between women with breast cancer and their therapeutic radiographers. J Psychosom Res. 2018 Mar;106:41-48. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2018.01.004. Epub 2018 Jan 9.