Parent Fear of Recurrence Therapy (Parent-FORT)

Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is the fear, worry, or concern that cancer may come back or progress, and is the most frequently unment need among cancer survivors. Parents often report high levels of fear around their child’s cancer coming back. FCR can be successfully addressed with brief interventions. However, none of these interventions have been tested with parents of childhood cancer survivors.

Therefore, with the help of an advisory board, our team has adapted FORT to the needs of parents. The goal of our current pilot study is to estimate the significance of Parent-FORT on fear of cancer recurrence and on secondary outcomes for parents of childhood cancer survivors.

To get involved, please email the study coordinator Celeste Holy, at choly@uottawa.ca.

Inclusion Criteria

  • Parent of a childhood cancer survivor (less than 18) who is at least 1 month post-treatment

  • Score of > 13 of the Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory (will be assessed prior to involvement)

  • Access to computer and internet

  • Living in Canada

*Participants will be selected on a first come, first serve basis

 FAQs

  • Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is the fear, worry, or concern that cancer may come back or progress. We recognize that you may have multiple, varying, and unique worries, such as late effects, secondary cancers, schooling, and general health.

  • 1) parent (or primary caregiver) caring for a childhood cancer survivor (<18 years of age) of any type of cancer type

    2) at least 1 months from the completion of active treatment, and has not had a recurrence of their cancer. Parents of children who underwent BMT but are not experiencing active GVHD can participate

    4) a score of 13 or greater on the Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory-Short Form-Parent version (FCRI-SF-P), which will be assessed during an initial interview

    5) access to a computer and internet connection

    6) living in Canada

  • Interested parents will be randomly assigned to receive the intervention immediately, or will be placed on a 3-month waitlist control group.

    Participation will consist of weekly online group therapy sessions for 2 hours for 7 weeks, during which you will be asked to participate in activities, participate in group discussions, and complete homework.

    Participants will also be asked to complete a 20-minute questionnaire package before starting the therapy, immediately after the last session, and 3 months later. The questionnaires will assess fear of cancer recurrence, the psychological impact of cancer, uncertainty, coping, and quality of life.

    Finally, an exit interview will be conducted with all participants to better understand their experience.

  • Participants will be compensated $20 for each of the three questionnaires.

    By participating in this research, parents may experience a decrease in their fear of cancer recurrence, their cancer-specific distress, their uncertainty in illness, and an increase in their quality of life and their coping.

  • Interested participants are encouraged to email the research coordinator, Celeste Holy, at choly@uottawa.ca.