A Lifestyle Intervention for Breast Cancer Survivors

Targeting the Teachable Moment: A Lifestyle Intervention for Breast Cancer Survivors

1. The purpose of the study is to test the effectiveness of a new mail-based intervention for breast cancer survivors compared with standard lifestyle management and no-treatment.
2. This intervention addresses both lifestyle factors such as dietary and physical activities and psychological issues specific to breast cancer survivors to improve healthy behaviors.

Participants will be assigned randomly to one of three groups: 1) newly developed mail-based intervention (Targeting the Teachable Moment Intervention; TTMI), 2) standard Lifestyle Intervention (SLM), and 3) usual care. Both TTMI and SLM focus on health behaviors, however TTMI additionally addresses psychosocial issues specific to breast cancer survivors.

All participants will complete questionnaires at the time they start the study, the end of the 4 months, and 3 months later for a follow-up.

If participants are assigned to any of the intervention group, they will receive materials every other week for 4 months. If participants are assigned to the usual care group, they will receive the same materials as the standard lifestyle intervention et the end of the 7 months.

Inclusion Criteria:

• First diagnosed with breast cancer in the past 1.5 years
• stage 0~2 breast cancer
• no prior adjuvant treatment for another cancer
• Can read and write English
• Are not participating in other health behavior research right now

Exclusion Criteria:

• apparent serious mental disturbance
• male breast cancer survivors