Virtual Vs Telephone Education in Radiotherapy

Rationale: Breast cancer (BC) is a major health concern worldwide. In 2024, it was stated that breast cancer makes up almost 25% of all new cancer diagnoses in women. Breast cancer was also found to be the leading cause of cancer death in women. The use of Radiation Therapy (RT) plays a major role in the treatment of breast cancer. Although RT has such a large role, the complexity of RT can be psychologically and physically demanding for patients. Many patients require and seek out a large amount of information to help facilitate understanding of RT. Evidence suggests the use of a pre-treatment education session led by a Radiation Therapist(s) has been found to reduce patients' procedural fears, concerns and overall anxiety levels. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, telephone calls became the standard for pre-treatment education. Recently a study by Magliozzi et al has found the use of videoconferencing-based education demonstrated higher levels of patient satisfaction and preference over telephone. However, evidence directly comparing these two modalities against each other is lacking.

Objective: The aim of this study is comparing the effectiveness of the current standard in pre-RT education using telephone calls versus videoconferencing led education in reducing breast cancer patients' procedural fears and concerns related to RT. The investigators hypothesize that the use of videoconferencing will decrease breast cancer patients' procedural concerns more than using telephone calls. If videoconferencing does reduce breast cancer patients' procedural fears and concerns, future directions for radiation therapy education will be to implement videoconferencing as the current standard for breast cancer patients, and eventually all patients. In addition to this, cancer centers worldwide will be able to implement a virtual approach if the cancer center has the resources to do such.

Experimental Approach: To test this hypothesis, the experimental approach is a prospective randomized clinical trial of Radiation Therapist-led patient education sessions comparing the two modalities, videoconferencing and telephone. Breast cancer patients receiving radical breast radiotherapy above the age of 18 and have a device with access to the internet and Microsoft Teams will be consented and randomized 1:1 into the intervention group (videoconferencing) or control group (telephone). The primary endpoint for this study is a change in patients' procedural fears and concerns using the Cancer Treatment Survey (CaTS). A total sample size of 130 patients, measured at 3 time points (T1: baseline, T2: post CT-Simulation, and T3: post day 1 treatment), will achieve 80% power at a 0.05 significance level to detect a mean difference of 0.44 in the CaTS procedural fears and concerns subscale between groups using a repeated measures design. Secondary endpoints for this study include patient reported anxiety levels measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, anxiety subscale (HADS-A), and overall patient satisfaction measured using a survey adapted from Berlin et al. Anxiety levels will be measured at all three time points, whereas satisfaction will be measured at T2 due to its close timing with the education session.

Inclusion criteria

• 18 years or older
• Access to an internet connected device with a microphone and camera
• Able to communicate in English with/without a translator
• Receiving radical breast cancer radiotherapy

Exclusion criteria

• Previous radiotherapy treatment