Background: Globally, breast cancer has been identified as the most common cancer among women. The clinical efficacy of adjuvant oral antiestrogen therapy—including tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors—has been proven to be clinically efficacious for breast cancer survivors. However, medication adherence for these therapies remains suboptimal among breast cancer survivors. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a reminder intervention—a smart pill bottle paired with the Pillsy mobile application—on medication adherence, medication self-efficacy, and depression, among breast cancer survivors who were undergoing oral antiestrogen therapy. Methods: This study is a randomized controlled trial. Sixty-one women were allocated to an experimental group (n = 31) and the control group (n = 30). The experimental group received the reminder intervention of a smart pill bottle for 4 weeks. Study outcomes were identified as medication adherence, medication self-efficacy, and depression. Results: Fifty-seven women completed the follow-up measurement. Significant differences in favor of the experimental group were noted for medication adherence (P = .004) and medication self-efficacy (P = .004). There was no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups with regard to depression (P = .057). Conclusions: Reminder intervention using smart pill bottles was effective in improving medication adherence and medication self-efficacy among breast cancer survivors undergoing oral antiestrogen therapy. Implications for Practice: A smart pill bottle method of intervention can be a useful reminder strategy to improve medication adherence among breast cancer survivors.

Background/Objectives: Grief in cancer patients represents a multidimensional psychological response encompassing anticipatory, existential, and identity-related distress. While the recent literature has examined grief in caregivers, family members, and even healthcare professionals, the psychological grief experienced by patients themselves following a cancer diagnosis remains comparatively understudied and insufficiently characterized in empirical research. This systematic review aims to evaluate observational studies that used validated psychometric instruments to measure grief in adult cancer patients and to synthesize findings on the significance of grief in this population. Methods: Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, a systematic search of PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO was conducted to identify observational studies that employed validated tools to assess grief among adult cancer patients. The inclusion criteria required the use of psychometrically validated grief instruments and the collection of quantitative data. Fifteen studies met eligibility criteria and were included in the final analysis. Results: Grief symptoms were consistently present at moderate to high levels across diverse cancer types, care settings, and geographic regions. Preparatory Grief in Advanced Cancer (PGAC) scores often exceeded thresholds associated with clinical concern, with correlations observed between grief and psychological variables such as anxiety (r = 0.63), depression (r = 0.637), hopelessness (r = 0.63), and dignity (r = 0.654). Demographic factors (e.g., younger age, female gender) and illness perceptions (e.g., identity centrality, stigma) further intensified grief. Grief was a predominant psychological concern even when general distress measures failed to capture its presence. Conclusions: Future research is essential to identify an effective public health strategy for addressing grief through structured screening conducted in primary care and outpatient medical settings, coupled with accessible referral pathways to community-based support groups and coordinated follow-up services to facilitate grief management.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether patients receiving navigation supportive care from a Breast Cancer Care Coordinator (BCCC), prior to initial oncology consultation at a British Columbia Cancer Agency, Abbotsford Centre (BCCA-AC), demonstrated different levels of anxiety and depression from those not receiving such support at the same BCCA centre. A retrospective review of the Psychological Screen for Cancer (PSSCAN) scores of new breast cancer patients seen for oncology consultation for the control cohort (receiving usual care) were compared to PSSCAN scores of those who had received care from a BCCC prior to the oncology consultation (the study cohort). A total of 91 PSSCANs were reviewed in the study, with 54 belonging to the treatment group and 37 to the control group. PSSCAN scores for anxiety and depression did not show significant differences between the two groups.

La présente étude visait à déterminer si les niveaux d’anxiété et de dépression des patientes bénéficiant du soutien et de la navigation d’une coordonnatrice des soins du cancer du sein (CSCS) avant leur première consultation en oncologie au centre Abbotsford de la British Columbia Cancer Agency (BCCA) différaient de ceux des patientes du centre n’ayant pas reçu ce même soutien. Une étude rétrospective a comparé les scores de dépistage psychologique pour le cancer (Psychological Screen for Cancer – PSSCAN) d’un groupe témoin constitué de patientes qui avaient reçu un diagnostic de cancer du sein récemment et qui recevaient les soins oncologiques habituels aux scores de patientes accompagnées par une CSCS avant leur consultation en oncologie (groupe à l’étude). Au total, 91 scores ont été analysés : 54 dans le groupe à l’étude et 37 dans le groupe témoin. Aucune différence significative n’a été décelée entre les scores PSSCAN d’anxiété et de dépression des deux groupes.