Cognitive Behavior vs Bright Light Therapy for Insomnia in Women Undergoing Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer: A - Summary - MDSpire
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Comparative Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Bright Light Treatment for Insomnia in Women with Breast Cancer Undergoing Chemotherapy

  • By

  • Trang Thuy Do

  • Jordan Maccora

  • Rebecca Wallace

  • Veronica Aedo-Lopez

  • Marliese Alexander

  • Sonia Ancoli-Israel

  • Bei Bei

  • Robert Blum

  • Frances Boyle

  • Daphne Day

  • Justine Diggens

  • Prudence A. Francis

  • Maria Ftanou

  • Sheila N. Garland

  • Alysia Kepert

  • Duncan Mortimer

  • Andrew J. K. Phillips

  • Sharad Sharma

  • Lesley Stafford

  • Michelle White

  • Joshua F. Wiley

  • August 27, 2026

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Objective:

To examine the efficacy of 6-week Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) and Bright Light Therapy (BLT) for insomnia and fatigue among women with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy.

Approach:
  • Study Design: A multicenter, 2 × 2 factorial, superiority, parallel randomized controlled trial (RCT) with ethics approval.
  • Participants: Women aged 18 years or older with a diagnosis of breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy were recruited from five Australian hospitals.
  • Interventions: Participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: CBT-I alone, BLT alone, combined CBT-I and BLT, or sleep hygiene education (SHE).
Key Findings:
  • Insomnia affects 62% and moderate to severe fatigue affects 43% of women with breast cancer.
  • Chemotherapy increases the prevalence of insomnia symptoms to 70%.
  • The efficacy of CBT-I and BLT during chemotherapy remains uncertain.
Limitations:
  • Existing trials have small sample sizes and lack comparisons with other evidence-based interventions.
  • Few studies have assessed either treatment during chemotherapy.
Conclusion:

This study aims to clarify the effectiveness of CBT-I and BLT in managing insomnia and fatigue in women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy.

Sources:

Original Source(s)

Cognitive Behavior vs Bright Light Therapy for Insomnia in Women Undergoing Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer: A

  • by Trang Thuy Do, Jordan Maccora, Rebecca Wallace, Veronica Aedo-Lopez, Marliese Alexander, Sonia Ancoli-Israel, Bei Bei, Robert Blum, Frances Boyle, Daphne Day, Justine Diggens, Prudence A. Francis, Maria Ftanou, Sheila N. Garland, Alysia Kepert, Duncan Mortimer, Andrew J. K. Phillips, Sharad Sharma, Lesley Stafford, Michelle White, Joshua F. Wiley

  • August 27, 2026

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