Poster Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2024

Can-Sleep: A community based adaptation of an evidence based program for sleep difficulties for people with ovarian cancer (#557)

Emma Vaughan 1 , Lauren Williams 2 , Rosetta Hart 3 , Hayley Russell 2 , Martha Hickey 4 , Michael Jefford 1 5 , Joshua Wiley 6 , Linda Mileshkin 1 , Maria Ftanou 1
  1. Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  2. Psychosocial Services, Ovarian Cancer Australia, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  3. Teal Support Program, Ovarian Cancer Australia, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  4. Women’s Gynaecology Research Centre, Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne , VIC , 3000
  5. The Australian Cancer Survivorship Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  6. Institute of Cognitive and Neuroscience, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3000

Aims: Sleep difficulties are a significant issue experienced by up to 58% of people diagnosed with ovarian cancer (OC) (1). The gold-standard treatment for insomnia is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) (2). Peter Mac’s Can-Sleep Program is the first Australian program that specifically targets sleep difficulties in adult cancer survivors (3). The Can-Sleep program has not yet been implemented in a community setting. The current project involves a partnership between Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Ovarian Cancer Australia in the adaption of the Can-Sleep stepped care program to treat sleep difficulties in people with an OC diagnosis.

Methods: Over a 15-week period beginning in March 2024, people with OC were screened using the Insomnia Severity Index and Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Participants with sleep difficulties were offered a stepped care program incorporating a CBT self-management resource (adapted for OC) and coaching. Participants were re-screened at 5 weeks and those with ongoing sleep difficulties were offered group CBT. Acceptability was measured via experience surveys and acceptable intervention completion levels were defined as self-reported reading of 50% or more of the self-management resource.

Results: Thirty-nine people with OC were screened and 36 (92%) had sleep difficulties, all 36 accepted the stepped care intervention. To date, 22 participants have been rescreened post receiving the CBT self-management resource, 15 (68%) reported reading at least 50% of the CBT self-management resource, and 17 (77%) experienced a clinically significant decrease in insomnia scores. So far, three participants have completed the group CBT program, with 2 (67%) having no sleep difficulties at the time of their post-program rescreening.

Conclusion: The Can-Sleep intervention appears to be acceptable to OCA consumers and reducing sleep difficulties in people with OC. The Can-Sleep program represents a promising option for managing sleep difficulties in a community setting, particularly in regions with limited healthcare resources.

  1. Clevenger, L., Schrepf, A., Christensen, D., DeGeest, K., Bender, D., Ahmed, A., & Lutgendorf, S. K. (2012). Sleep disturbance, cytokines, and fatigue in women with ovarian cancer. Brain, behavior, and immunity, 26(7), 1037-1044.
  2. Trauer, J.M., et al., Cognitive behavioral therapy for chronic insomnia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Annals of internal medicine, 2015. 163(3): p. 191-204.
  3. Diggens, J., Bullen, D., Maccora, J., Wiley, J. F., Ellen, S., Goldin, J., & Ftanou, M. (2023). Feasibility and efficacy of ‘Can-Sleep’: effects of a stepped-care approach to cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia in cancer. Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 1-9.