# Impact of a nurse-led mind-body intervention on sexual health in breast cancer

> **NIH NIH P20** · UNIV OF ARKANSAS FOR MED SCIS · 2024 · $284,737

## Abstract

The incidence of breast cancer among young women between the ages 18 – 50 is increasing 0.5% each year. 
Simultaneously, due to advances in treatment, five-year survival rates are up to 86%. As these young women 
complete treatment and successfully transition into survivorship, they face significant changes to their physical, 
emotional, and sexual selves. Challenges such as decreased sexual functioning, menopausal symptoms, and 
body image changes due to treatment (chemotherapy, radiation, surgical intervention) are major concerns for 
young women in survivorship, but previous research has indicated that young women often receive little to no 
sexual health communication from their oncology providers. The resulting lack and/or absence of sexual health 
communication can lead to lower sexual health satisfaction and quality of life in survivorship. Many clinical 
efforts exist to provide breast cancer survivors’ sexual health education, yet few programs have been 
rigorously evaluated for efficacy and effectiveness. One program, EMBRACE (Empowerment through Mind 
and Body Reclamation After Cancer Experience) is a long-standing, nurse-led clinical sexual health 
psychoeducational intervention that was developed and implemented in two large cancer centers for more than 
eight years. The goal of this proposed study is to determine feasibility and establish efficacy of the online 
EMBRACE intervention to improve sexual health for young breast cancer survivors through two aims. We will 
recruit 42 young women breast cancer survivors who completed active breast cancer treatment and are 
currently on estrogen-suppression medications. In this pilot trial, participants will be randomized into two 
groups: the EMBRACE Group with an immediate start and the Delayed EMBRACE group which will begin 8 
weeks after enrollment per wait list protocols. For Aim 1, we will evaluate the feasibility of delivering EMBRACE 
in an online, private setting. For Aim 2, we will explore the preliminary efficacy of EMBRACE with vaginal 
rehydration and dilation on improving sexual health (menopausal symptoms, sexual functioning, and body 
image). The results from this study will provide an innovative approach to improve and possibly alleviate sexual 
side effects caused by breast cancer therapies for women in survivorship.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11158473
- **Project number:** 5P20GM109005-10
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF ARKANSAS FOR MED SCIS
- **Principal Investigator:** Pearman Parker
- **Activity code:** P20 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $284,737
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2024-06-01 → 2026-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11158473

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11158473, Impact of a nurse-led mind-body intervention on sexual health in breast cancer (5P20GM109005-10). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11158473. Licensed CC0.

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