The Efficacy of Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Patients With Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective: To systematically review and analyze the effects of Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) on physical, psychological, and daily life outcomes in patients with breast cancer. Methods: Relevant studies were retrieved from Wanfang, CBM, CNKI, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase and PubMed from inception to December 2023. Two independent authors conducted the literature search and data extraction. The Cochrane bias risk assessment tool was used to evaluate the included studies for methodological quality, and the data analysis was performed using Stata (Version 15.0). Results: Among 700 records, 11 randomized controlled trials were identified in this study. The meta-analysis showed statistically significant effects of ICBT on depression (standardized mean difference (SMD) = −0.38, 95% confidence interval (CI): −0.70 to −0.06, P = .019) and insomnia severity (SMD = −0.71, 95% CI: −1.24 to −0.19, P = .008). However, there were no statistically significant effects on anxiety, fatigue, sleep quality and quality of life. Conclusions: ICBT appears to be effective for improving depression and reducing insomnia severity in patients with breast cancer, but the effects on anxiety, fatigue, sleep quality and quality of life are non-significant. This low-cost treatment needs to be further investigated. More randomized controlled trials with a larger sample size, strict study design and multiple follow-ups are required to determine the effects of ICBT on patients with breast cancer.