Development and Evaluation of a Self-Management Model for Cancer Rehabilitation

A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial on the Development and Evaluation of a Self-Management Model for Cancer Rehabilitation

Participants were primarily recruited from medical institutions, specifically targeting newly diagnosed patients with malignant tumors. They were randomly assigned to two different rehabilitation models using block randomization: the cancer self-help rehabilitation model or the conventional rehabilitation model.

During the intervention period, trained oncology advanced practice nurses conducted weekly questionnaire surveys for enrolled patients. During the follow-up period, these surveys were conducted every four weeks. Peripheral venous blood samples were collected at baseline and at weeks 0, 4, 8, and 12 after the intervention began to test for biomarkers related to emotional distress.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Pathologically diagnosed with head and neck malignancy.
• Experiencing psychological distress.
• Aged between 18 and 70 years.
• Patients scheduled to receive antitumor treatment in a day hospital or outpatient setting.
• ECOG performance status score of 0-2.
• Patients voluntarily participate, fully understand, and are able to independently complete the questionnaires.

Exclusion Criteria:

• A history of other malignancies within the past 5 years.
• A history of any mental illness, including but not limited to: generalized anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, panic disorder, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder.
• Patients currently receiving other psychological treatments or taking psychiatric medications.