Group-based acceptance and commitment therapy reduces fear of cancer recurrence in breast cancer survivors, results of a pilot study suggest.

US researchers did a pilot randomised trial comparing group-based acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) with survivorship education and enhanced usual care in 91 patients treated for breast cancer.

All had clinically significant fear of cancer (scores of at least 13 out of a maximum of 36 on the nine-item Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory-Short Form, or FCRI-SF).

Survivorship education and the ACT intervention were carried out in two-hour group sessions, done weekly for six weeks, while enhanced usual care involved one 30-minute group session.