Handbook and Phone Coaching for Symptoms in Advanced Cancer Survivors and Caregivers

AI summary

From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.

The trial is looking for adults with metastatic or stage IV breast, gut (GI) or melanoma cancer, together with a caregiver. Both receive a symptom handbook, and some also get phone coaching.

Age

Survivors and caregivers: 18 years or older.

Sex

All sexes can join.

Disease stage

Survivors: metastatic or stage IV breast, gastrointestinal (GI) or melanoma cancer.

Earlier treatment

Survivors and caregivers must not be currently receiving a symptom management intervention. Caregivers must not be currently treated for cancer.

Main reasons for not taking part

• Nursing home resident
• Bedridden
• Hospice care
• Currently receiving a symptom management intervention
• Caregiver currently treated for cancer

The registry criteria, word for word

What the trial wants to find out

The protocol will include a 10-week Symptom Management and Survivorship Handbook (SMSH) intervention to address informational needs for the management of physical and psychological symptoms, bundled with telephone delivered health coaching to address their symptom interference with physical, psychological and social functioning. The SMSH intervention, which includes both symptom assessment and management, is simple to implement, scalable, and evidence-based will be delivered to all survivors and caregivers (dyads) in this study, and will serve as an active control. In addition to the SMSH, intervention arm dyads will receive health coaching to address symptom interference and reduce social isolation. Symptom burden is more pronounced in marginalized populations such as Latina/o, rural, older age survivors and their caregivers.18-20 Many health disparities in these populations are underwritten by social isolation due to lack of access, disconnection from linguistically competent health care, mobility, and geographic proximity,21-23 and health coaching can address these issues.

The 2 groups in the trial

• Symptom Management and Survivorship Handbook (SMSH)Existing treatment, for comparison

  Survivors and caregivers are mailed a printed Symptom Management and Survivorship Handbook (SMSH or Handbook), which has been shown to help survivors and caregivers manage symptoms in other studies. The SMSH includes a chapter for 24 common cancer symptoms (e.g., fatigue, depression, anxiety, sleep difficulties, pain, etc.) and provides tips and strategies to help with symptom management. The SMSH also includes lifestyle and behavior tips, survivorship guidelines, and surveillance guidelines. Survivors and caregivers are called by an interventionist via telephone once a week for 10 weeks to assess symptoms and make referrals to chapters in the handbook based on their reports.

  Treatment: Symptom Management and Survivorship Handbook

• Symptom Management and Survivorship Handbook + CoachingTreatment being tested

  Survivors and caregivers are mailed the printed Symptom Management and Survivorship Handbook (SMSH or Handbook), which has been shown to help them manage symptoms in other studies. The SMSH includes a chapter for 24 common cancer symptoms (e.g., fatigue, depression, anxiety, sleep difficulties, pain, etc.) and provides tips and strategies to help with symptom management. The SMSH also includes lifestyle and behavior tips, survivorship guidelines, and surveillance guidelines. Trained health coaches will call the survivor and caregiver separately each week for 10 weeks to assess symptoms, make referrals to SMSH, and use behavioral theory techniques to facilitate goal setting and symptom self-management.