Pursuing Exploration Into the Supportive Care Needs and Intervention Preferences of Survivors of Testicular Cancer
Key facts
- Who runs it
- Indiana University
- Where
- Indianapolis, United StatesSee the site
- Trial code
- Status
- Completed
- People taking part
- 70 people enrolled
- Started
- 18 Aug 2025
- Ended
- 3 Jun 2026
- Type of study
- Interventional, 2 groupsOne group gets an existing treatment, for comparison.
- Treatments tested
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Coaching
- Education and Support Coaching
- Record updated
- 5 October 2026
Who can take part
- Age
- 18 years to 40 years
- Sex
- Men only
- Healthy volunteers
- Cannot take part
The registry criteria, word for word
Show all 13 criteriaShow less
Who can take part
- At least 18 years of age
- Diagnosed with testicular cancer (any type, stage, or risk category) without evidence of active distant disease at time of study entry
- Completed surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and/or stem cell transplant 5 years or less prior to enrollment
- Willing to provide authorization to be contacted by email
- Willing to complete surveys
- Willing to participate in six, 90-minute intervention sessions
- Able to speak and read English
- Has clinically significant fear of cancer recurrence (FCR-4 score = 9 or higher) and/or anxiety (GAD-2 score = 3 or higher) at eligibility screening
Who cannot take part
- Completed surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and/or stem cell transplant less than 2 weeks prior to enrollment (excluding to avoid acute toxicity side effects of treatment)
- Patient has co-morbidities or deficits that would impair participation in the study, including:; history of neurological disorder or traumatic brain injury (e.g., stroke, encephalitis, epilepsy, loss of consciousness greater than 10 minutes); severe depressive symptoms (PHQ-2 score = 5 or higher at screening),; active substance abuse or uncontrolled bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or psychosis; obvious hearing and/or communicative disability that would impair their participation
- Currently participating in psychotherapy focused on cancer-specific adjustment/support
- Patient is currently participating in "The Platinum Study" (PI: Lois Travis)
- Currently participating in any behavioral/psychosocial research study that has the potential to skew results of this study or the study in which the survivor is participating
Where in United States
- Indiana University - IndianapolisIndianapolis, United States
About the trial
What the trial wants to find out
This trial tests the impact of an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)-based coaching program delivered via videoconferencing on fear of cancer recurrence (primary outcome), anxiety, other symptoms, health-related quality of life, and coping (secondary outcomes) in survivors of testicular cancer. ACT includes experiential training in present moment awareness (e.g., mindfulness meditation, performing activities with greater awareness), coping adaptively with difficult internal experiences (e.g., thoughts, feelings, body sensation), identifying personally meaningful values, and pursuing activities consistent with these values. Testicular cancer survivors (N=70) will be randomly assigned in equal numbers to either an ACT-based coaching program or an education/support coaching program, both delivered via videoconferencing. Survivors in both conditions will participate in six weekly 90-minute online group sessions. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, 2 weeks post-intervention, and 3 months post-intervention. The investigators hypothesize that ACT will lead to improved primary and secondary outcomes as compared to education/support. Study findings will inform a large-scale trial of intervention efficacy.
The 2 groups in the trial
- Coaching Program 1: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Treatment being tested
Testicular cancer survivors in the ACT-based coaching arm will learn new and more adaptive ways to respond to fear of cancer recurrence and other difficult internal experiences (e.g., thoughts, feelings, body sensations).
Treatment: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Coaching
- Coaching Program 2: Education and SupportExisting treatment, for comparison
Testicular cancer survivors in the education and support coaching arm will discuss their cancer-related concerns and receive education on supportive services and resources available locally and nationally.
Treatment: Education and Support Coaching
Data and sources
- Registry record
- Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Official title
- Pursuing Exploration Into the Supportive Care Needs and Intervention Preferences of Survivors of Testicular Cancer (PERSIST): A Mixed Methods Pilot Study
- Record updated
- 5 October 2026