12 / THE EFFECTS OF A NURSE-LED SUPPORTIVE CARE DELIVERY INCLUDING COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE (CIM) ON BREAST AND GYNECOLOGIC CANCER PATIENTS’ QUALITY OF LIFE

Introduction: The interest in Complementary and Integrative Medicines (CIMs) is widespread in cancer patients. Therefore many cancer centers offer integrated approaches with CIM to their patients but the impact of those approaches on Quality of Life (QoL) is unclear. Objectives: The aim of the CONGO (Complementary Nursing in Gynecologic Oncology) trial was to investigate the effects of a complex supportive nurse-led intervention using CIM on QoL. Methods: From 7/2014 to 2/2016, we enrolled 251 patients diagnosed with breast and gynecologic cancer in a randomized trial of CIM supportive care integrated with routine care (n=126) vs. routine care alone (n=125) at two South German oncology centers (NCT, SKK). Patients completed the EORTC-QLQ-C30 weekly during their chemotherapy (T1: before, T2: mid-term, T3: end of chemotherapy maximally after 24 weeks), and at 6 month follow-up (T4). Mixed linear models were applied to assess the effects of this supportive care intervention. Results: Compared to routine care, CIM supportive care improved patients’ QoL at T4 (estimate 6.643 [1.65; 11.64] (p=0.010), but not at T3 (estimate -1.04 [-4.89; 2.809], p=0.596). Similarly at T4, further group effects could be found for fatigue (effect estimate: -7.04 [-13.2; -.840], (p=0.0266), and emotional functioning (effect estimate: 8.196 [2.328; 14.07], p=0.0065) in favor of the intervention group. Conclusion: In the long-term, breast and gynecologic cancer patients’ health outcomes were improved by the integrated intervention. Further research is warranted to explain the mechanisms of this delayed effect, which may presumably has developed due to improvement of patients’ self-efficacy and patient competence.

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