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Cancer Survival Through Lifestyle Change (CASTLE): a Pilot Study of Weight Loss

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Abstract

Background

Excess weight is a strong predictor of incident breast cancer (BC) and survivorship. A limited number of studies comparing strategies for promoting successful weight loss in women with remitted BC exist.

Purpose

CASTLE was a pilot study comparing the effectiveness/feasibility of in-person and telephonic behavioral-based lifestyle weight loss interventions in BC survivors.

Method

Fifty-two overweight/obese women (BMI = 25–45 kg/m2) with remitted BC (stages I–IIIa) who recently completed cancer treatment were assigned to either an in-person group (n = 24) or an individual telephone-based condition (n = 11). Both interventions focused on increasing physical activity and reducing caloric intake. The phase I intervention lasted 6 months. The in-person condition received 16 group-based sessions, and the telephone condition received intervention calls approximately weekly. Phase II lasted 6 months (e.g., months 6–12), and all participants received monthly intervention calls via telephone.

Results

Participants were predominately Caucasian (80 %) with a mean age of 52.8 (8.0) years and BMI of 31.9 (5.4) kg/m2. Mixed models ANOVAs showed significant within group weight loss after 6 months for both the in-person (−3.3 kg ± 4.4, p = 0.002) and the telephonic (−4.0 kg ± 6.0, p = 0.01) conditions with no between group differences. During phase II, the in-person group demonstrated significant weight regain (1.3 kg ± 1.7, p = 0.009).

Conclusion

Our pilot study findings demonstrated that telephone-based behavioral weight loss programs are effective and feasible in BC survivors and that telephonic programs may have advantages in promoting weight loss maintenance.

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Acknowledgments

This work was performed at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. The authors would like to thank Kimberly Kramer, Sarah Dicharry, Christopher Hill, Stephanie Pope, Donna Bryant, Dr. Gerald Miletello, Dr. Christopher McCanless, Dr. Michael Castine, Dr. Georgia Reine, Dr. Bryan Bienvenu, Dr. David Hanson, Dr. Frederic Billings, Dr. Kellie Schmeeckle, and Dr. Derrick Spell for their hard work and dedication to this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University System, 6400 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA, 70808-4124, USA

    Melissa Nauta Harris, Damon L. Swift, Valerie H. Myers, Conrad P. Earnest, Neil M. Johannsen, Catherine M. Champagne, Erma Levy, Katherine C. Cash & Timothy S. Church

  2. TrestleTree®, Inc, Fayetteville, AR, USA

    Becky D. Parker

Authors
  1. Melissa Nauta Harris
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  2. Damon L. Swift
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Timothy S. Church.

Additional information

Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier NCT01217216

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Harris, M.N., Swift, D.L., Myers, V.H. et al. Cancer Survival Through Lifestyle Change (CASTLE): a Pilot Study of Weight Loss. Int.J. Behav. Med. 20, 403–412 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-012-9234-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-012-9234-5

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