Grant: Doctoral Award - Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships

Due to early detection and treatment of breast cancer (BC), the number of BC survivors in Canada is growing. Many women often struggle with weight management prior to diagnosis and often treatments for BC will further contribute to weight gain. Excess weight in BC survivors has been linked to a host of challenges including poor mental health, and even increased risk of cancer recurrence. The Healthy Lifestyle Modification after Breast Cancer (HLM-ABC) program was developed by clinical-research teams at York University and The Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre (OCC) to address these issues. The HLM-ABC is a professionally-facilitated, online weight management group wherein BC survivors work towards improved physical activity and eating habits, in order to achieve a healthy weight and improve quality of life. Importantly, a sub-group of BC survivors with unique weight management difficulties was identified, who struggled with weight management prior to their diagnosis, which negatively impacted their participation. As well, psychological factors such as motivation and fears of cancer recurrence could either motivate or de-motivate participants during the program. We therefore adapted the HLM-ABC to meet the needs of the BC survivors with lower motivation and previous weight loss difficulties. In this study, we will look at groups of BC survivors partaking in the HLM-ABC to verify whether one's weight prior to BC diagnosis impacts weight loss outcomes, as well as further explore the associations between treatment expectancy, fears of cancer recurrence, and motivation. Through standardized questionnaires and weight measurements, we hope to better understand what accounts for effective lifestyle changes among BC survivors. If we can pinpoint the psychological factors contributing to weight loss among BC survivors, we will be able to improve effective services for the range of women attempting to improve their prognosis and mental health through healthy lifestyle programs.