2 votes

A randomised controlled trial of an intervention to promote early presentation of breast cancer in older women: effect on breast cancer awareness

Louise Linsell¹, Lindsay J. L. Forbes¹, Marcia Kapari¹, Caroline Burgess¹, Lynne Omar¹, Lorraine Tucker¹ & Amanda J. Ramirez¹

Correspondence: (Login to view email address)

1. Cancer Research UK Promoting Early Presentation Group

DOC (186 KB) PDF (158.3 KB)

Document Type:

Manuscript

Date:

Received 30 September 2009 20:10 UTC; Posted 01 October 2009

Subjects:

Cancer

Tags:

• Aged
• Awareness
• breast cancer
• Breast neoplasms
• Complex intervention
• Delayed presentation
• Health knowledge
• Older women
• One-to-one intervention
• Randomized controlled trials

Abstract:

There is virtually no evidence for the effectiveness of interventions to promote early presentation in breast cancer. We tested the efficacy of an intervention to equip older women with the knowledge, skills, confidence and motivation to detect symptoms and seek help promptly, with the aim of promoting early presentation with breast cancer symptoms. We randomised 867 women aged 67 to 70 attending for their final routine appointment on the UK NHS Breast Screening Programme to receive: a scripted ten-minute interaction with a radiographer plus a booklet; a booklet alone; or usual care. The primary outcome was whether or not a woman was breast cancer aware based on knowledge of breast cancer symptoms and age-related risk; and reported breast checking. At one month, the intervention increased the proportion who were breast cancer aware compared with usual care (interaction arm: 32.8% versus 4.1%; odds ratio 24.0, 95% confidence interval 7.7 to 73.7; booklet arm: 12.7% versus 4.1%; odds ratio 4.4, 95% confidence interval 1.6 to 12.0). At one year, the effects of the interaction plus booklet, and the booklet, on breast cancer awareness were largely sustained, although the interaction plus booklet remained much more effective. Future research will evaluate whether the intervention promotes early presentation and reduces breast cancer mortality.

Discussion

Votes:

2 votes

(Login to vote)

Comments:

0 comments

(Login to post a comment)

Share:

(Login to share with a colleague)

Additional information

License:

This document is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License

How to cite this document:

Linsell, Louise, Forbes, Lindsay , Kapari, Marcia , Burgess, Caroline , Omar, Lynne , Tucker, Lorraine , and Ramirez, Amanda. A randomised controlled trial of an intervention to promote early presentation of breast cancer in older women: effect on breast cancer awareness. Available from Nature Precedings <http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/npre.2009.3816.1> (2009)

Version info:

Other versions of this document in Nature Precedings

None.

Other versions of this document elsewhere on the web

None known.

Submit a new version link