Unmet needs and psychological adjustment in cancer survivors.
This project has developed and established the psychometric properties of measures to assess unmet supportive care needs in cancer survivors & their partners (Cancer Survivors Unmet Needs (CASUN) and Cancer Survivors’ Partners’ Unmet Needs (CASPUN). These measures are being applied in prospective and cross-sectional research studies to assess prevalence of needs and predictors of psychosocial outcomes & unmet needs in cancer survivors & their partners.

Funding: NHMRC PhD Scholarship and Institute of Psychiatry

Research into the Relationship Between Type of Organisation and Effectiveness of Voluntary Support Groups for Cancer Patients and Their Carers.
This study is investigating the nature and effectiveness of support groups for people with cancer in NSW through an examination of the relationship between type of group and effectiveness using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. A total of 173 active support groups were identified in NSW. 47 of these participated in a year long prospective study looking at the well-being and satisfaction with group of cancer support group members. 9 groups participated in focus groups regarding the experience of being a group member. People who do not attend support groups were interviewed regarding their sources of support and decision not to attend a group. Data collection for this project is now complete and data is being analysed.

Funding: Cancer Council NSW and NHMRC PhD scholarship

An evaluation of needs and supportive interventions for primary carers of a person with cancer: a comparative study of female and male carers
A systematic review of all existing research literature on cancer carers, and relevant literature produced by carers associations, will be conducted, to provide the theoretical and empirical foundations of the project, and to ensure that the design is innovative and significant. Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, this stage of the study would evaluate psychological well-being, quality of life, and the self-perceived needs of carers, comparing male and female carers.

Funding: Cancer Council NSW

Supporting the leaders of cancer support groups
This is a two-part project funded by an Australian Research Council Linkage grant, conducted in conjunction with The Cancer Council, New South Wales, The University of Western Sydney and Department of Gynaecological Oncology, Westmead Hospital.
The first part of this project involved a national survey assessing the challenges, rewards and support and training needs, and psychological well-being of cancer support group leaders. Three hundred leaders from completed the national survey, corresponding to a response rate of 66%. The results of the national survey are in the process of being published in peer-reviewed journals.

The most strongly endorsed support and training included: feedback from group members, access to a website specifically developed for cancer support group leaders and the provision of a leaders’ manual with specific resources and strategies on how to run a group and address difficult group scenarios.
The second component of the project involves a randomised controlled trial which will commence recruitment of an anticipated 60 leaders from NSW in July 2007. The intervention phase of the study will begin in January 2008, evaluating a minimal (exposure to a website/on-line discussion forum) and intensive (exposure to the website/online discussion forum + use of DVD/interactive manual + leadership training) intervention arm. The development of the interventions is currently underway.

Funding: ARC Linkage Grant with The Cancer Council, NSW

Psychosocial care of adults with cancer: A guide for patients and their families
The aim of this study was to examine the impact of providing adults with cancer with an information booklet about important psychosocial care issues, based on the Psychosocial Clinical Practice Guidelines for Adults in Cancer, and was conducted in collaboration with the National Cancer Control Initiative. Thirty- nine Oncology patients were randomized to receive the booklet or not and feedback was elicited concerning the acceptability and impact of the booklet. The booklet will now be modified and a larger study may be conducted to evaluate its impact.

Funding: Sydney Cancer Centre

The impact of differing levels of yoga practice and awareness on outcomes in women with breast cancer
This qualitative study aims to explore the impact of a yogic intervention for women with breast cancer, which is currently being used as complimentary psychosocial intervention for women with breast cancer in a number of Sydney-based hospitals. The benefit of a yoga program is that it works on the physical, mental and emotional levels simultaneously, thereby providing benefits on a number of levels with the use of only one strategy. If effective such a program could prove both time and resource effective in the adjunctive management of cancer care. This study would guide practitioners in the optimal delivery of yoga interventions.

Funding: Unfunded Masters Project

Randomised Controlled Trial of Nurse Led Education Intervention on Sexuality and Body Image for Women with Breast Cancer
A large proportion of women with breast cancer report ongoing difficulties with sexuality and body image. This study will develop a nurse-led intervention and evaluate it in a randomised controlled trial

Funding: National Breast Cancer Foundation and Cancer Council of Western Australia

OVER (Olive oil Vaginal Exercises and Replens) come: An intervention study to improve sexual function in women with breast cancer
This study is being conducted in collaboration with Prince of Wales Hospital. Vaginal dryness, dyspareunia (pain during sex) and/or vaginismus (painful tightening of the vagina) are reported in up to 50% of breast cancer survivors.  Poor vaginal lubrication results in dyspareunia, and women often report anticipatory fear and avoidance of sexual activity, along with involuntary pelvic floor muscle (PFM) contraction resulting in vaginismus.  Most women are advised to use a vaginal lubricant during intercourse, but this alone is often inadequate. This pilot intervention study aims to prospectively evaluate the acceptability, safety and efficacy of a novel intervention using PFM relaxation exercises to prevent vaginismus, a vaginal moisturizer (Replens) to alleviate vaginal dryness, and olive oil as a lubricant during intercourse, to reduce sexual difficulties experienced following adjuvant treatment for breast cancer.

Funding: The Susan G KOMEN Breast Cancer Foundation (USA)

The role of Information Framing regarding the intention to receive Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI). Infection with low-risk HPV types (HPV 6 & 11) causes 90% of genital warts, while infection with high-risk types (HPV 16 & 18) causes 70% of cervical cancer.  In 2006, an HPV vaccine (Gardasil) designed to prevent both cervical cancer and genital warts was made available in Australia.  Clinical trials of the vaccine have demonstrated 95% efficacy for the prevention of cervical cancer and nearly 100% protection against genital warts.  Thus the vaccine can have enormous public health benefits for women, however the benefits will only be realised if the vaccine is accepted. Potential barriers to HPV vaccine acceptance could be lack of knowledge regarding HPV and the stigma associated with STIs. This study will examine young women’s knowledge of HPV, explore the effect of stigmatised vs non-stigmatised information framing on intentions to vaccinate against HPV, and evaluate the HBM regarding its ability to predict young women’s intentions to vaccinate against HPV using the Health Belief Model and the Theory of Planned Behaviour.

Funding: Unfunded student study

Integration of Medical Qigong with Western medicine can enhance the quality of life of cancer patients and reduce the side effects of standard medical treatment.
The aim of this study is to evaluate whether Medical Qigong is effective in enhancing the quality of life of cancer patients, reducing the side effects of current standard medical treatment, stress level, fatigue and inflammation. Medical Qigong is an important part of traditional Chinese medicine with a history of more than five thousand years. It is a mind-body practice that uses physical activity and meditation to harmonize the body, mind and spirit. Recent clinical research has indicated that Medical Qigong can be applied as a preventative medicine to assist with stress management, lowering hypertension, reducing chronic pain and improving depression, insomnia, cardiac rehabilitation and immune function.
Over the past several decades, an increasing number of people in Australia and other Western countries have started using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to maintain or improve health and well being. Cancer patients are frequent users of CAM: 52% of cancer patients in Australia and up to 91% of patients diagnosed with cancer in the United States use some form of CAM after diagnosis. However, there is little evidence supporting the safety and efficacy of many CAMs to guide health professionals and patients. Thus there is need to develop and evaluate interventions that can improve the supportive care of patients through better management of physical and psychological side-effects.


An evaluation of concerns, self-perceived needs, and supportive interventions, for informal cancer carers: A comparative study of female and male carers.
This groundbreaking project, lead by PsyHealth: Centre for Research in Gender, Culture and Health, at University of Western Sydney; in colloboration with the Medical Psychology Research Unit, Sydney University; Westmead Hospital; Cancer Council New South Wales; and Carers New South Wales, has two aims.

Funding: ARC Linkage grant