Abstract
The ’Take Action’ program was feasible for Israeli breast cancer survivors but not for women in the acute phase. In the acute phase managing fatigue upper extremity disability and scars is required. Occupational therapy should start at diagnosis.
Primary Author and Speaker: Danit Langer
Additional Authors and Speakers: Stav Hillel
Contributing Authors: Robin Mieli Newman, Asnat Bar-Haim Erez
The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of the ’Take Action’ (TA) program in Israeli women with breast cancer (BC) and cancer-related cognitive impairment, in both the adjuvant and post-adjuvant phases. The main goal the of TA is to help BC survivors identify and utilize strategies to increase their occupational performance. A quasi-experimental single-group pretest-posttest study was conducted for the adjuvant group (n=7), and post-adjuvant group (n=6) separately. Feasibility was measured in terms of adherence, satisfaction with the program and potential effectiveness. Assessments of perceived cognitive function, disability and wellbeing were administered at baseline and post-intervention. Women in the post-adjuvant group reported high satisfaction with the program and demonstrated improvement in wellbeing. In the adjuvant group the TA group program was not found to be feasible. The women found it difficult to adhere to the protocol due to the effects of their treatment, and raised other issues such as upper-extremity disability, and scar management. After completion of adjuvant treatments, weekly adapted TA program sessions were conducted. The women reported high satisfaction with the program and demonstrated improvement in emotional state, disability perception and executive function. The results support the feasibility of an adapted TA program for BC survivors in Israel. Although the group program was not found to be feasible during the adjuvant phase, this primary experience led to a better understanding of the individual needs of women in this very challenging stage. In particular, the women reported that symptom management and functional ability maintenance strategies were valuable in the acute phase. Once the women finished the adjuvant therapy, the adapted TA program was feasible in an individual setting. The findings highlight the need for occupational therapy interventions from the diagnosis of BC throughout the treatment and recovery.
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Langer, D., Tendler, S., & Bar-Haim Erez, A. (2023). A broad perspective on breast cancer: participation, quality of life and return to work throughout the recovery process. Work, 75(1), 325–337. https://doi.org/10.3233/WOR-220085
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