Dr. Montgomery’s research focuses on developing, testing and disseminating psychological and integrative interventions to reduce suffering related to cancer and its treatment. Critical findings are: 1) Through an RCT of breast conserving surgery patients, he and his group found that patients who received a brief presurgery hypnosis intervention needed less propofol and lidocaine during surgery; reported less pain intensity, pain unpleasantness, nausea, fatigue, discomfort, and emotional upset after surgery; and, cost the institution $772.71 less per patient than patients randomized to an attention control (empathic listening) group. 2) In an RCT of breast cancer radiotherapy patients, our group found that that a brief intervention including cognitive-behavioral therapy plus hypnosis (CBTH) reduced fatigue in patients during radiotherapy, and for up to six months following radiotherapy. Results support CBTH as a highly effective means for controlling and potentially preventing fatigue in breast cancer radiotherapy patients. 3) Dr. Montgomery is presently working to disseiminate this CBTH intervention by training psychosocial cancer care providers across the country in the intervention. This work is supported by the NCI R25E mechanism. 4) Throughout his program of research, Dr. Montgomery has demonstrated that response expectancies and emotional distress play important roles in the development of cancer patients’ treatment-related side effects (e.g., chemotherapy-related nausea, postsurgical quality of life). Current research efforts include a randomized controlled trial to study the use of a three-session hypnosis intervention (R01AT008762, NCT02657993) to reduce musculoskeletal pain and to improve medication adherence in breast cancer survivors prescribed aromatase inhibitors. Overall, Dr. Montgomery’s program of research focuses on developing, testing, and disseminating the effects of behavioral medicine and integrative interventions on the lives of cancer patients and survivors. Through this work he hopes to improve the quality of life of individuals affected by cancer and its treatment.

The Integrative Behavioral Medicine Program