A Systematic Review of Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions in Cancer

The goal of this study is to conduct a systematic review of cognitive-behavioral interventions for patients with cancer. The studies included in this review met the following criteria: (1) being a randomized clinical trial (RCT), (2) being a study of a cognitive-behavioral therapy that included psycho-educational, alternative, and complementary therapies (for example, acupuncture, relaxation), and tested expressive, supportive, and skill-based interventions, (3) adult participants (18 years or older) with cancer, and (4) the results being directly related to advanced studies. Treatment effects were not statistically significant in most studies, methods were not consistently described, and samples had limited racial/ethnic diversity, according to the studies included in this review. The internal validity of the studies included in this review posed significant challenges to the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral interventions. A gap in the current knowledge base is the lack of information on the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral interventions to support people with cancer. Practical requirements are tailored to the needs of people with advanced cancer, and well-designed studies are required to test interventions that improve cancer outcomes.