ESTABLISH

Exploring Suitable Treatments for Advanced Breast cancer patients with Long-term Insomnia through StakeHolder collaboration

At the Strathclyde Sleep Centre, we are working on a new 3-year project, funded by Make 2nds Count, to look at the impact of insomnia in people living with secondary breast cancer and to co-produce a new treatment to address it.

Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder and affects up to 40% of people with breast cancer. Insomnia is characterised by difficulty falling asleep / staying asleep or waking up too early and not being able to go back to sleep. Insomnia negatively affects quality of life and leads to other mental and physical health problems. For these reasons, it is really important to address insomnia

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBTi) is the NICE recommended first-line treatment for insomnia in adults. However, secondary breast cancer patients have been excluded from previous studies and so it remains unknown if CBTi could be a feasible, acceptable or effective treatment in this population. This research study aims to close this knowledge gap. 

What will we do in this research?

In 2025, we conducted an online survey to learn more about sleep and wellbeing in people living with secondary breast cancer. The survey launched on World Sleep Day (14 March 2025) and closed on 30 September 2025. We also invited a small number of people to take part in follow-up interviews to explore their experiences in more detail. We are currently analysing the findings and will share the results soon.

We have also recently completed a project to co-produce a new sleep intervention for people living with secondary breast cancer. We worked closely with people with lived experience of secondary breast cancer and healthcare professionals to develop and refine the intervention. Their experiences and expertise have been central to shaping the new intervention.

We are now beginning the final stage of the ESTABLISH project: a research trial exploring two different approaches to improving sleep in people living with secondary breast cancer. We are looking for more than 50 people to take part. Participants will be randomly allocated to one of two treatment groups. If you are interested in taking part or would like to find out more about the study, please click here. This project has received ethical approval from the University of Strathclyde Ethics Committee (UEC26/47).

If you are interested in signing up to our mailing list to be contacted about future research, please contact stephanie.mccrory@strath.ac.uk

Interested in taking part in this research?

Read the study poster below to find out more, then click on the poster to access the Participant Information Sheet and online eligibility form.

Meet the ESTABLISH research team

Chief Investigator – Professor Leanne Fleming

Co-investigators – Professor Iain MacPherson & Dr Caroline Michie

Research Associate – Dr Stephanie McCrory

Our steering group for this project includes academics, practitioners and people with lived experience with a wealth of knowledge and expertise.

For more information about the ESTABLISH project, please contact stephanie.mccrory@strath.ac.uk

ESTABLISH Library