Abstract
Background. Diagnosis of ovarian cancer often portends a poor prognosis with significant quality-of-life (QOL) concerns. Method. We report on a pilot study that tested the feasibility of a structured, ovarian cancer psychoeducational intervention (OCPI). Patients (N = 33) were randomly assigned to either the control or OCPI study arms in which those in the intervention arm received 4 sequential, structured, in-person educational sessions. Data were collected at the time of accrual and at 1 and 3 months postaccrual. Results. This study demonstrated the feasibility of a structured psychoeducational program in an outpatient clinical setting. Conclusion. Study findings underscore the importance of developing interventions that address the 4 QOL domains impacted by ovarian cancer and support initiating a comprehensive psychoeducational intervention earlier in the course of illness. J Cancer Educ. 2008; 23:214–221.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This study was sponsored by a research grant from the Oncology Nursing Foundation. The authors are especially grateful and appreciate the candor expressed by the ovarian cancer patients and their families who participated in this study.
Notes
Supported by a research grant from the Oncology Nursing Foundation.