Emerging From the Haze™- Measuring the Impact of a Psycho-education Program on Perceived Cognition After Breast Cancer Treatment

Emerging From the Haze™-A Multi-center, Randomized Controlled Trial to Measure Impact of a Multi-dimensional Psycho-educational Program on Subjective Cognitive Complaints After Breast Cancer Treatment Using Virtual Technology

At Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, we have developed a novel curriculum for a 6-week psycho-educationally-based, cognitive behavioral program to help patients with subjective cognitive complaints after cancer treatment, titled Emerging from the Haze™ (Haze). Each series meets once a week for 2 hours for 6 weeks. The leading neuropsychologist covers material such as guided relaxation, behavioral strategies for automatic/negative thoughts, compensatory strategies for attention and memory, executive functioning, pacing, and balance. Each Haze series will be electronically delivered in a live format to our satellite site, The University of Kansas.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Completed treatment for stage 1-3 breast cancer at least two months but not more than 24 months prior to enrollment.
• Having received chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy
• Female, Age ≥18 years.
• FACT-Cog score less than 59 on the Perceived Cognitive Impairment subscale
• Eligible after 2 months of completing all their active cancer treatment with the exception of long-term hormonal treatments or trastuzumab.
• Subjective complaint of cognitive concerns at time of enrollment
• Must be able to understand and communicate proficiently in English
• Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent.
• Agree to complete study surveys

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients who have significant personality disorders or unstable psychiatric disorders (including active major depression, substance abuse, psychosis or bipolar disorder) as assessed by the interviewing clinician
• Patients with known brain metastases, history of brain metastases or radiation to the brain.
• Patients with a history of stroke or other pre-existing neurological condition that may contribute to cognitive dysfunction.
• Non-English speakers
• Receiving treatment for another malignancy other than breast cancer
• Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, chronic anemia, uncontrolled hypothyroidism, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements.