Cancer diagnosis generates a number of physical (pain, nausea and fatigue) and psychological implications for the patient. At the psychological level, there are high levels of emotional distress (anxiety and depression) and cognitive impairments such as memory, attentional and information processing deficits, that can undermine the quality of life. This last decade has shown great progress in cancer treatment allowing cancer patients, many of whom are of working age, to survive. Unfortunately, cancer diagnosis and treatment induce various symptoms necessitating the patient to interrupt or quit his occupational status. Hypnosis has been used in the past few years to treat these psychological and physical symptoms, be it at the moment of diagnosis, during and/or after the cancer treatments. A large amount of studies has shown a positive effect of hypnosis in cancer patients notably upon anxiety, emotional distress and fatigue, three factors that can negatively affect cognitive functions. The purpose of our study is to investigate the effect of a non-pharmacological treatment that combines self-hypnosis and self-care on well-being, cognitive complaints and return-to- work within a population of cancer patients. Our hypothesis is that, by reducing emotional distress and fatigue, self-hypnosis/self-care will reduce the cognitive difficulties of cancer patients, foster return-to-work, and eventually improve the patients' global quality of life.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
SINGLE
Learning phase of self-hypnosis/self-care
University of Liège
Liège, Belgium
University
Liège, Belgium
Change in subjective cognitive difficulties : Perceived cognitive impairments
The impact of self-hypnosis/self-care on the perceived cognitive impairments will be assessed by means of the subtest "Perceived cognitive impairments" of the Functionnal Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function (FACT-COG; Wagner et al., 2009). Scale ranging from 0 to 4 (0=never; 4=several times a day).
Time frame: T1 (before the intervention), T2 (right after the intervention), T3 (3 months follow-up)
Change in subjective cognitive difficulties : Comments by others
The impact of self-hypnosis/self-care on the perceived cognitive impairments will be assessed by means of the subtest "Comments by others" of the Functionnal Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function (FACT-COG; Wagner et al., 2009). Scale ranging from 0 to 4 (0=never; 4=several times a day).
Time frame: T1 (before the intervention), T2 (right after the intervention), T3 (3 months follow-up)
Change in subjective cognitive difficulties : Perceived cognitive abilities
The impact of self-hypnosis/self-care on the perceived cognitive impairments will be assessed by means of the subtest "Perceived cognitive abilities" of the Functionnal Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function (FACT-COG; Wagner et al., 2009). Scale ranging from 0 to 4 (0=not at all; 4=very much).
Time frame: T1 (before the intervention), T2 (right after the intervention), T3 (3 months follow-up)
Change in subjective cognitive difficulties : Impact on quality of life
The impact of self-hypnosis/self-care on the perceived cognitive impairments will be assessed by means of the subtest "Impact on quality of life" of the Functionnal Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function (FACT-COG; Wagner et al., 2009). Scale ranging from 0 to 4 (0=not at all; 4=very much).
Time frame: T1 (before the intervention), T2 (right after the intervention), T3 (3 months follow-up)
Change in objective cognitive difficulties : Verbal long term memory
The impact of self-hypnosis/self-care on verbal long term memory will be assessed by means the Buschke Selective Reminding Test (Buschke, 1973). According to the sex and the subject's age, the test gives us a score and the norms.
Time frame: T1 (before the intervention), T2 (right after the intervention), T3 (3 months follow-up)
Change in objective cognitive difficulties : Attention
The impact of self-hypnosis/self-care on attention abilities will be assessed by means of the subtest "Phasic alertness" of the Test of Attentional Performance 2.3.1 (Zimmermann \& Fimm, 2002). Computerized test, according to the sex and the subject's age, the test gives us a score and the norms.
Time frame: T1 (before the intervention), T2 (right after the intervention), T3 (3 months follow-up)
Change in objective cognitive difficulties : Processing speed
The impact of self-hypnosis/self-care on processing speed abilities will be assessed by means of the first part of the Stroop test (Stroop, 1935). According to the sex and the subject's age, the test gives us a score and the norms.
Time frame: T1 (before the intervention), T2 (right after the intervention), T3 (3 months follow-up)
Change in objective cognitvie difficulties : Inhibition
The impact of self-hypnosis/self-care on inhibition abilities will be assessed by means of the first part of the Stroop test (Stroop, 1935). According to the sex and the subject's age, the test gives us a score and the norms.
Time frame: T1 (before the intervention), T2 (right after the intervention), T3 (3 months follow-up)
Change in objective cognitvie difficulties : mental flexibility
The impact of self-hypnosis/self-care on mental flexibility abilities will be assessed by means of the subtest "Flexibility" of the Test of Attentional Performance 2.3.1 (Zimmermann \& Fimm, 2002). Computerized test, according to the sex and the subject's age, the test gives us a score and the norms.
Time frame: T1 (before the intervention), T2 (right after the intervention), T3 (3 months follow-up)
Change in objective cognitvie difficulties : working memory
The impact of self-hypnosis/self-care on mental flexibility abilities will be assessed by means of the subtest "Working memory" of the Test of Attentional Performance 2.3.1 (Zimmermann \& Fimm, 2002). Computerized test, according to the sex and the subject's age, the test gives us a score and the norms.
Time frame: T1 (before the intervention), T2 (right after the intervention), T3 (3 months follow-up)
Change in objective cognitvie difficulties : executive functions
The impact of self-hypnosis/self-care on executive functions will be assessed by means of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (David et al., 1948). According to the sex and the subject's age, the test gives us a score and the norms.
Time frame: T1 (before the intervention), T2 (right after the intervention), T3 (3 months follow-up)
Impact on return-to-work
For people who continued to work at time of recruitment, Work Design questionnaire will be administered Morgeson \& Hymphrey, 2006). Scale raging from 0 to 5 (0=not at all; 5=exactly).
Time frame: T1 (before the intervention), T2 (right after the intervention), T3 (3 months follow-up)
Change in emtional distress : Anxiety
The impact of self-hypnosis/self-care on anxiety and despression will be assessed by means of the Hopsital Anxiety and Depression Scale (Zigmond \& Snaith, 1983). Scale ranging from 0 to 3 (0=never; 4=always).
Time frame: T1 (before the intervention), T2 (right after the intervention), T3 (3 months follow-up)
Change in emtional distress : Depression
The impact of self-hypnosis/self-care on anxiety and despression will be assessed by means of the Hopsital Anxiety and Depression Scale (Zigmond \& Snaith, 1983). Scale ranging from 0 to 3 (0=alwaysr; 4=never).
Time frame: T1 (before the intervention), T2 (right after the intervention), T3 (3 months follow-up)
Change in fatigue : General fatigue
The impact of self-hypnosis/self-care on fatigue will be assessed by means of the subscale "general fatigue" of the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (Smets et al., 1995). Scale ranging from 1 to 4 (1=not agree at all; 4=agree completely).
Time frame: T1 (before the intervention), T2 (right after the intervention), T3 (3 months follow-up)
Change in fatigue : Physical fatigue
The impact of self-hypnosis/self-care on fatigue will be assessed by means of the subscale "physical fatigue" of the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (Smets et al., 1995). Scale ranging from 1 to 4 (1=not agree at all; 4=agree completely).
Time frame: T1 (before the intervention), T2 (right after the intervention), T3 (3 months follow-up)
Change in fatigue : Mental fatigue
The impact of self-hypnosis/self-care on fatigue will be assessed by means of the subscale "mental fatigue" of the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (Smets et al., 1995). Scale ranging from 1 to 4 (1=not agree at all; 4=agree completely).
Time frame: T1 (before the intervention), T2 (right after the intervention), T3 (3 months follow-up)
Change in fatigue : Motivational decrease
The impact of self-hypnosis/self-care on fatigue will be assessed by means of the subscale "motivational decrease" of the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (Smets et al., 1995). Scale ranging from 1 to 4 (1=not agree at all; 4=agree completely).
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Time frame: T1 (before the intervention), T2 (right after the intervention), T3 (3 months follow-up)
Change in fatigue
The impact of self-hypnosis/self-care on fatigue will be assessed by means of the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI; Smets et al., 1995) and an 1-week agenda.
Time frame: T1 (before the intervention), T2 (right after the intervention), T3 (3 months follow-up)
Change in fatigue : Weekly agenda
Qualitative questionnaire concerning the sleep habits of participants. They have to give information concerning their sleeping habits.
Time frame: T1 (before the intervention), T2 (right after the intervention), T3 (3 months follow-up)
Change in quality of life
The improvement of quality of life will be assessed my means of the european Organization for Reasearch and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 version 3.0 (E Aaronson et al., 1993). Scale ranging from 1 to 4 (1=not at all; 4=excellent).
Time frame: T1 (before the intervention), T2 (right after the intervention), T3 (3 months follow-up)