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Translating Research Into Practice: The Healthy Living after Cancer Partnership Project (#49)

Elizabeth Eakin 1 , Sandi Hayes 2 , Marina Reeves 1 , Ana Goode 1 , Janette Vardy 3 , Fran Boyle 4 , Marion Haas 5 , Janet Hiller 6 , Gita Mishra 1 , Michael Jefford 7 , Bogda Koczwara 8 , Christobel Saunders 9 , Kathy Chapman 10 , Lorna O'Brien 10 , Anna Boltong 11 , Katherine Lane 11 , Polly Baldwin 12 , Greg Sharplin 12 , Lesley Millar 13 , Sandy McKiernan 13 , Wendy Demark-Wahnefried 14 , Kerry Courneya 15 , Erin Robson 1
  1. School of Population Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
  2. School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
  3. Concord Clinical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  4. Patricia Ritchie Centre for Cancer Care & Research, Mater Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  5. Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  6. School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  7. Australian Cancer Survivorship Centre, Peter MacCullum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
  8. Flinders Centre for Innovation in Cancer, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
  9. School of Surgery, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
  10. Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  11. Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
  12. Cancer Council South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
  13. Cancer Council WA, Perth, WA, Australia
  14. Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
  15. Behavioural Medicine Laboratory, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Aims: There is considerable evidence for the role of physical activity, healthy diet and weight control in improving outcomes for cancer survivors, and evidence for related lifestyle interventions. However, these are not incorporated as part of routine care. The Healthy Living after Cancer (HLaC) NHMRC-funded Partnership Project is evaluating the uptake of an evidence-based, six-month telephone-delivered lifestyle program targeting cancer survivors (of any type following treatment with curative intent) by four Cancer Councils (NSW, VIC, SA, WA) in collaboration with an interdisciplinary research team.

 Methods: Phase IV dissemination study; single-group, pre-post design; conducted in three phases over five years: 1) infrastructure and capacity building; 2) implementation and evaluation; 3) advocacy for continued funding, pending findings. Primary outcomes relate to program implementation: adoption (i.e., referrals from treatment centres and community services); reach and retention of participants; fidelity of implementation by Cancer Councils; participant and staff satisfaction; fixed and recurrent costs of program delivery. Secondary (patient-reported) outcomes are: physical activity and dietary behaviour change, weight, quality of life, cancer-related side-effects, distress and fear of recurrence.

 Results: Phase I activities (protocol adaptation for Cancer Council delivery; database development; staff training; referral pathway and promotional material development) are complete. All Cancer Councils have begun to pilot HLaC program delivery (Phase II) which will continue for three years. To date, a total of 29 patients have enrolled: 79% female; aged 30 to 82; average BMI = 28 kg/m2 (SD = 8.5); with a wide range of cancers (breast, prostate, colorectal, lymphoma, kidney, cervical, Ewing’s sarcoma, acute lymphoid leukaemia and basal cell carcinoma).

 Conclusions: This University-Cancer Council collaboration provides an opportunity for national dissemination of an evidence-based intervention to support healthy living among cancer survivors. Rigorous evaluation of service-level and patient-reported outcomes will provide the practice-based evidence needed to inform subsequent applications for sustained funding.

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