Treatment for Persistently Fatigued Cancer Survivors: A Randomized Controlled Trial With Biomarker Response

Inclusion Criteria for breast cancer participants:

be age 18 or older
live in the Indianapolis region
have an established first-time diagnosis of non-metastatic (stages 0-III) breast cancer treated with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy
be in good general health (self-report)
have clinically-significant CRF (Fatigue Symptom Inventory [FSI severity composite ≥ 4]) that has persisted for the previous 8 weeks or longer.

Inclusion Criteria for colorectal cancer participants:

be age 18 or older
live in the Indianapolis region
have an established diagnosis of colorectal cancer (any stage)
in treatment currently or previously with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy
have clinically-significant CRF (Fatigue Symptom Inventory [FSI severity composite ≥ 4) that has persisted for the previous 8 weeks or longer.

Exclusion Criteria for breast cancer participants:

cancer treatment (chemotherapy, biologic response modifiers, radiation therapy, or surgery) in prior 3 months or > 5 years ago (endocrine therapy for breast cancer is allowed)
enrollment in hospice care
severe depression (PHQ-8 ≥ 20)
past participation in a mindfulness meditation class and/or having an established/ongoing meditation practice

Exclusion Criteria for colorectal cancer participants:

enrollment in hospice care
severe depression (PHQ-8 ≥ 20)
past participation in a mindfulness meditation class and/or having an established/ongoing meditation practice

A non-fatigued group of post-treatment BCS will also be enrolled in order to compare baseline levels of all biomarkers and all self-reported psychosocial measures between fatigued and non-fatigued BCS.

Inclusion criteria for non-fatigued BCS participants

being age 18 or older
having an established first-time diagnosis of non-metastatic (stage 0-III) breast cancer
being in good general health (self-reported)
having FSI severity composite scores of ≤ 2

Exclusion criteria for non-fatigued BCS participants

cancer treatment (chemotherapy, biologic response modifiers, radiation therapy, or surgery) in prior 3 months or > 5 years ago (endocrine therapy for breast cancer is allowed)
enrollment in hospice care
severe depression (PHQ-8 ≥ 20)