Hypnotherapy in Reducing Musculoskeletal Pain and Improving Aromatase Inhibitor Adherence in Patients with Hormone Receptor Positive Stage 0-III Breast Cancer

Inclusion Criteria

• Diagnosed with stage 0-III hormone-receptor positive breast cancer (BCa)
• Taking a third-generation AI (e.g., anastrozole [Arimidex], letrozole [Femara], or exemestane [Aromasin]) for at least 3 months with sufficient time left in their AI prescription to complete all study assessments (e.g., at least one year left on AIs)
• Experiencing ongoing pain and/or stiffness in one or more joints, which started or worsened after initiation of AI therapy
• Having a baseline worst pain score over the past week on the Brief Pain Inventory–Short Form (BPI-SF) of >= 3 on a 0 to 10 scale
• Speak and read English (to allow for participation in intervention sessions)
• Consent to the study; and
• Be willing to be randomized to experimental conditions

Exclusion Criteria

• Inflammatory, metabolic or neuropathic arthropathies at the time of recruitment; this includes international classification of diseases (ICD) 10 codes M05-M14
• Fibromyalgia (ICD 10 code M79.7)
• Past cancer; patients will be excluded if they have ever been diagnosed with cancer (including ductal breast carcinoma in situ [DCIS]/lobular breast carcinoma in situ [LCIS]) prior to the breast cancer for which the present course of AIs is being prescribed; however, patients will be eligible if their have a history of: nonmetastatic, non-melanotomous skin cancer
• Metastatic (stage IV) BCa
• Bone fracture/surgery of an extremity during the preceding 6 months
• Non-steroidal joint injection within the last 3 months
• Current use of corticosteroids defined as oral, intravenous (IV), or injections of corticosteroids in the past 4 weeks * If the patient is only prescribed a short-term, time-limited dose of oral, intravenous (IV), or injections of corticosteroids, then they may be rescreened for eligibility once they are >= 4 weeks post-completion of their course of corticosteroids
• Regular use of narcotics
• Consistent with previous chemoprevention adherence research, patients will be excluded due to the presence of the following psychiatric conditions: * A lifetime history of dementia (ICD 10 codes F01-, F02-, F03-, F04-); * A lifetime history of a psychotic disorder (ICD 10 codes: F20-F-29); * A current diagnosis of a manic episode (ICD 10 codes F30-); * Current uncontrolled major depressive disorder (ICD 10 codes F33-); * A current diagnosis of any mental and behavioral disorders due to psychoactive substance use (excluding nicotine-related diagnoses) (ICD 10 codes: F10- F19-, except for nicotine-related diagnoses); and, * Current intoxication
• And/or in the rare instance of the presence of a comorbidity that does not fall into any of the above mentioned exclusion criteria, but that is clinically determined to significantly interfere with the patient’s ability to participate in the study (e.g., cognitive impairment)