Support for lifestyle behaviour change after breast cancer treatment

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Understanding the offer and uptake of support for lifestyle behaviour change following breast cancer treatment

  • IRAS ID

    332207

  • Contact name

    Blossom Lake

  • Contact email

    blossom.lake@nhs.net

  • Sponsor organisation

    Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    1 years, 5 months, 30 days

  • Research summary

    Breast cancer is the most common cancer. More than half of people who have breast cancer weigh more than a healthy weight. When people weigh more than a healthy weight, cancer treatments may not work as well, and breast cancer is more likely to return after treatment. It is recommended that patients with breast cancer do regular exercise and eat healthy foods. For those who have excess weight it is suggested that they try to lose between 5% and 10% of their body weight.

    Activities which help people lose weight can improve quality of life and mental health. Examples of these activities are eating healthily, exercising and accessing psychological (therapy) support. However, there is no clear way to help people with breast cancer do this, and different activities are provided in different places. We also need to know more about what people with breast cancer do if they are offered support.

    We will explore what activities to lose weight and help with lifestyle change are offered to people with breast cancer. We will also look at what activities they do. We will do this by sending surveys to nurses and people with breast cancer. We will also talk to around 20 nurses and 20 people with breast cancer in more detail about their experiences. We will ask what helped nurses when offering activities and what prevented them offering. We will ask people with breast cancer what was helpful in being able to do an activity, or what stopped them doing these activities.

    We will bring this information together and have an event to discuss our results with people working in health services and patients, to learn what works well and what does not work well for breast cancer patients and services.

  • REC name

    Wales REC 5

  • REC reference

    24/WA/0201

  • Date of REC Opinion

    2 Aug 2024

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion