Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and initial results of a structured assessment of sleep disorders in breast cancer survivors (BCS). Our goal was to determine whether the assessment could be easily used and whether it would capture problems suggestive of one or more underlying sleep disorders that require referral to a specialist for diagnostic validation through polysomnography and appropriate specialty treatment.
Methods: A cross-sectional, feasibility study using convenience sampling.
Results: A total of 38 BCS completed the study. Recruitment procedures were adequate in finding eligible BCS, however, procedures used to establish possible patterns of sleep disorders (e.g., interview) were not feasible for screening for sleep disorders in the clinical setting due to the time it took to complete each interview. A total of seven sleep disorder categories were identified in the data with the majority of women having at least one possible sleep disorder.
Conclusions: Study findings suggest that population-based screening for sleep disorders in clinical practice should be a priority for BCS reporting chronic sleep problems.
Keywords: Cancer; Quality of life; Sleep; Sleep disorder; Survivor.