Background

About half of ovarian cancer survivors experience a strong fear of their cancer coming back, which makes it hard for them to cope with life after treatment. This study looked at the iConquerFear program, an online tool designed to help these survivors manage their fears.

Study Details

Between October and December 2022, 62 women who survived ovarian cancer were invited to take part. They were randomly assigned to either use iConquerFear right away or wait 8 weeks. The study mainly focused on whether the program was easy to use, acceptable, and safe.

Results

Out of 62 women, 55 joined the study. Of those, 29 used iConquerFear right away while 26 waited. At the start, more than half reported serious fears about cancer returning. Only a little over half of the women who had access to iConquerFear completed most of the program. The feedback was mixed, with an average satisfaction score of 3 out of 4. However, 11% of users stopped using the program because it stressed them out. Interviews with some participants revealed important factors affecting their engagement.

Conclusions

The study found that iConquerFear may not be suitable for ovarian cancer survivors in its current form because of low usage, mixed feedback, and safety concerns. There were also no significant improvements in managing fear of cancer recurrence after using the program. More research is needed to make online tools like this work better by possibly adding in-person support.

Opportunities for Clinics and Patients

From the trial, clinics can:

Define clear goals for helping survivors manage their fears.
Evaluate the challenges and successes of using self-guided online tools.
Explore the integration of AI solutions tailored to the specific needs of cancer survivors.

Implementing Solutions

Start with a small project to test the effectiveness of these online tools, using AI to track results and improve the approach based on real-world experiences.