Beyond Technology: The Impact of Personal Physics Consultation on Patient Anxiety in Breast Cancer Radiation Therapy

The study aimed to compare the effects of technological versus interpersonal psychoeducational interventions in reducing treatment-related anxiety in breast cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy.

This prospective randomized controlled trial enrolled 241 patients with breast cancer, randomly assigning them into 3 arms: video education (n = 51), medical physicist consultation (n = 92), and standard care (n = 98). The video education group viewed an informational video prior to simulation, whereas the physicist consultation group received personalized treatment plan explanations before their first treatment. Anxiety levels were assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and distress thermometer at 4 time points: after initial consultation, after simulation, after first treatment, and at treatment completion.

Baseline anxiety scores were comparable across all groups following initial consultation. Medical physicist consultation patients demonstrated significantly lower distress thermometer scores after first treatment compared with both video education (P < .0043) and standard care groups (P < .0051). Although video education and standard care groups showed significant anxiety reduction between first and last treatments through habituation, the medical physicist group maintained consistently lower anxiety levels throughout treatment, suggesting earlier anxiety resolution through interpersonal intervention.

Direct patient education by medical physicists resulted in more rapid anxiety reduction compared with video-based education or standard care. The effectiveness of interpersonal intervention preceded the natural anxiety reduction observed through habituation in other groups. These findings support the integration of medical physicists into direct patient care and demonstrate the superior impact of human connection over technological interventions in managing radiation therapy-related anxiety.