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?
We have conducted an online survey to explore sleep and wellbeing in people living with secondary breast cancer. The survey launched on World Sleep Day 2025 (14th March) and closed on 30th September 2025. We are in the process of analysing the data & will share the findings soon!
The next step in this project is to co-produce an intervention for people living with secondary breast cancer. To do this, we will work closely with people with lived experience of secondary breast cancer, carers of people with secondary breast cancer, and healthcare professionals working with this population, to ensure that our intervention is informed by their expertise and experience.
We are currently recruiting patients, carers and healthcare practitioners to take part in this study. Please see the recruitment poster below.
If you are interested in taking part, or would like more information, click here or scan the QR code.
After we have designed the new intervention, we will conduct a study to examine the feasibility of delivering the new intervention to people living with secondary breast cancer.
Meet the ESTABLISH research team
Chief Investigator – Professor Leanne Fleming
Co-investigators – Professor Iain MacPherson & Dr Caroline Michie
Research Associate – 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