Upper Valley Medical Center seeks cancer survivors with insomnia

Cancer survivors experiencing sleep problems are being sought for an insomnia study at the Upper Valley Medical Center Cancer Care Center.

At least 15 participants are needed to initiate the study provided through the Dayton Clinical Oncology Program and sponsored by the University of Rochester, according to a release.

UVMC is one of the first sites nationally to participate in the study.

To be eligible for the study, participants must have had a cancer diagnosis, completed treatment in the past two to 24 months and have moderate to severe sleep problems. Participants will be compensated for their time, the release says.

Those who have a diagnosis of sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome, or who have had prior yoga practice in the past three months are not eligible for the study.

“A majority of cancer survivors, up to 90 percent, have sleep disorders or insomnia. They are underdiagnosed and undertreated,” Heather Penwell, RN, BSN, oncology coordinator of clinical trials at UVMC, said in the release.

Current treatments include medication and traditional exercise.

The study will compare the effectiveness of yoga, survivorship health education and cognitive behavioral therapy in treating sleep problems in cancer survivors.

“We’re thrilled to be a part of this research to explore how certain complementary wellness modalities and education can have a positive impact for cancer survivors who experience sleep issues,” Jean Heath, director of cancer care and community wellness at UVMC, said in a statement. “We are interested in anything that may be of benefit to our patients.”

Once 15 qualified participants have volunteered, they will be randomly assigned by computer to one of three groups representing the three categories of treatment.

“These are three totally different approaches to see which one is better helping to improve sleep quality,” Penwell said.

The groups will be conducted by trained instructors and meet at UVMC. The yoga and health education groups will meet two times a week for four weeks. The cognitive behavioral therapy group will meet once a week for eight weeks.

In addition to the groups, participants will complete five assessments, questionnaires, fasting blood draws, and tests to measure their physical ability such as a hand to grip strength test and a six-minute walk test. They also will be asked to wear an Actigraph on their wrist and waist to measure activity.

Amanda Brown of Piqua, a registered yoga teacher through the National Yoga Alliance, will instruct the yoga study group.

The cognitive behavioral therapy group will be led by Dianna Burgess, a licensed professional clinical counselor. The therapy method uses the concept of thoughts and feelings influencing behaviors.

The study is projected to launch later this year and will run for approximately eight months.

For more information or to volunteer to participate, call 937-440-4822 or 937-775-1350.

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