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This study protocol describes a decentralized, multicenter, open-label pilot randomized controlled trial designed to explore the effectiveness of online peer support for breast cancer survivors and to develop a matching algorithm for use in future research.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Fifty breast cancer survivors within 3\u00a0years of completing initial treatment will be recruited and will provide electronic informed consent. They will be randomly assigned to either the peer support group, which will schedule a peer support session immediately after registration, or the waitlist control group, which will schedule their session 2\u00a0weeks later. Peer support sessions will be conducted online by two trained peer supporters. The primary outcome is the score on the UCLA Loneliness Scale, assessed 1\u00a0week after the session in the peer support group and at the end of the 2-week waiting period in the control group. Secondary outcomes include satisfaction with peer support and other psychosocial measures, all assessed through an electronic patient-reported outcome system. Effect sizes will be calculated to inform sample size estimation for future trials. Potential factors associated with satisfaction, such as similarity between participants and peer supporters, will also be explored to guide matching algorithm development.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The findings will inform a future confirmatory trial incorporating an optimized matching algorithm.<\/jats:p>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      <jats:italic>Trial registration<\/jats:italic>\n                      UMIN000056741.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1007\/s10147-026-02979-3","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,13]],"date-time":"2026-02-13T04:52:42Z","timestamp":1770958362000},"page":"676-682","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Online peer support for breast cancer survivors: protocol for a decentralized multicenter open-label pilot randomized controlled trial (HOPE-BC study)"],"prefix":"10.1007","volume":"31","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1831-8987","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ken","family":"Kurisu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yosuke","family":"Uchitomi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Naomi","family":"Sakurai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maiko","family":"Fujimori","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nobuya","family":"Akizuki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Asao","family":"Ogawa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Akifumi","family":"Kurata","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tadahiro","family":"Izutani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Keita","family":"Mori","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tatsuo","family":"Akechi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Toshinari","family":"Yamashita","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"2979_CR1","unstructured":"Foundation for Promotion of Cancer Research (2025) Cancer statistics in Japan \u2013 2025. 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Y.U. reports support for the present manuscript from Daiichi Sankyo and grants\/contracts from Susmed, Aflac, Shionogi, and Meiji Seika Pharma. N.S., M.F., N.A., and A.O. declare no conflicts of interest. A.K. and T.I. are employees of Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. K.M. reports consulting fees from Daiichi Sankyo and lecture payments from Eli Lilly Japan, Chugai Pharmaceutical, and Ono Pharmaceutical. T.A. reports grants to his institution from Shionogi, royalties from Igaku-Shoin Ltd., and consulting fees from Daiichi Sankyo. He also reports lecture\/manuscript honoraria from AstraZeneca, Chugai, Daiichi Sankyo, Eisai, Eli Lilly, Kowa, Lundbeck, MSD, Meiji\u00a0Seika Pharma, Merck, Nipro, Otsuka, Pfizer, Shionogi, Sumitomo Pharma, Takeda, Tsumura, UCB, Viatris, and Igaku-Shoin Ltd., all unrelated to the submitted work. He also reports patents (pending: 2020-135195, 2024-516288; issued: 7313617, institution-owned) and serves as representative director of NCU CRESS and advisor to Snom Inc. T.Y. reports institutional payments from Chugai, Taiho, Nippon Kayaku, Eli Lilly, Daiichi Sankyo, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Seagen, MSD, Kyowa Kirin, Gilead Sciences, and Eisai, as well as honoraria for lectures from Chugai, Eisai, Daiichi Sankyo, Taiho, Nippon Kayaku, AstraZeneca, Kyowa Kirin, Pfizer, Eli Lilly, Novartis Pharma, and MSD.","order":2,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Conflict of interest"}},{"value":"All participants will provide electronic informed consent.","order":3,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Consent to participate"}},{"value":"All participants will provide electronic informed consent.","order":4,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Consent for publication"}},{"value":"This study protocol (version 1.1; May 27, 2025) was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the non-profit organization MINS (IRB No: DS-HaaS-005). Informed consent will be obtained from all participants. The study has been registered in a publicly accessible database (University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry [UMIN-CTR]; registration number: UMIN000056741; registered on 2025 Jan 17).","order":5,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Ethical approval"}}]}}