NCT03060096

Stepped-Care Telehealth for Distress in Cancer Survivors

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 68 (actual)
• Sponsor: Wake Forest University Health Sciences · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Mental health issues in post-treatment adult cancer survivors are associated with multiple adverse outcomes and may represent a cancer health disparity for rural survivors. The purpose of this study is to test a stepped-care approach tailored to symptom severity based on recent American Society of Clinical Oncology guidelines for reducing emotional distress (anxiety and/or depressive symptoms) and improving secondary outcomes (sleep disturbance, fatigue, fear of recurrence, quality of life) in rural, post-treatment cancer survivors in community oncology settings and to examine intervention costs. The resultant intervention will have great potential for widespread dissemination since it will be manualized, delivered by telephone, and comprised of modules to allow customized treatments for individuals with different cancer types.

Detailed description

Noting the need for evidence-based cancer survivorship care, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) published guidelines for screening, assessment, and care of psychosocial distress (anxiety, depression) in adults with cancer. These guidelines recommend screening all adults with cancer for distress and treating those with moderate or severe symptoms using a stepped-care approach tailored to distress severity. While these guidelines apply to survivors with all cancer types across the cancer treatment and survivorship continuum, we have chosen to focus on survivors with non-metastatic breast, colorectal, prostate, uterine, and cervical cancers , as well as those with any stage lymphoma (Hodgkin's or non-Hodgkin's). Further, we have focused on the post-treatment survivorship period 6 months-5 years post-treatment because distress may be more likely to be assessed and addressed after treatment completion. A significant minority of post-treatment survivors is at risk for anxiety and depression symptoms during the five years following the end of treatment and accessible interventions are needed to treat them. The purpose of this study is to test a method of implementing this stepped-care approach in community oncology practices caring for cancer survivors, using self-directed and stepped-care telehealth approaches based on cognitive-behavioral theory. Our approach is based on a previous trial of telephone-based cognitive behavioral therapy for rural older adults with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (NIMH 1R01MH083664: The Tranquil Moments Study; PI: Brenes), which has demonstrated high acceptability and efficacy for reducing anxiety, worry, and depressive symptoms in a rural geriatric population. This protocol adapts the methods of the previous trial to bring psychosocial care to underserved cancer survivors, many of whom have minimal or no access to mental health providers. Cancer survivors will be recruited through multiple NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) sites through the NCI-funded Wake Forest NCORP Research Base (WF NCORP RB). We will obtain data on feasibility, outcome variability, and efficacy for designing a subsequent fully powered randomized controlled trial (RCT) assessing the effects of the intervention on distress in cancer survivors. In the planned larger study, we anticipate that this intervention will: (a) reduce treatment barriers for post-treatment cancer survivors; (b) enhance availability of psychosocial treatment (through use of telephone sessions and a workbook); and (c) result in reductions in anxiety and depressive symptoms in cancer survivors.

Conditions

• Anxiety
• Depressive Symptoms
• Sleep Disturbance
• Recurrent Disease
• Fatigue
• Quality of Life
• Cancer

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Severe Anxiety/depression: High Intensity Stepped Care	The stepped-care Telehealth high intensity intervention is tailored to participants with severe anxiety and depression. Ppts randomized to this group will have 12 weekly psychotherapy sessions delivered by phone with a licensed therapist. Participants will also receive a CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) workbook including daily exercises to supplement understanding.
OTHER	Moderate Anxiety/depression: Low Intensity Stepped care	The stepped care Telehealth low intensity intervention is tailored to participants with moderate anxiety and depression. Ppts randomized to this group will receive a self-guided CBT workbook and biweekly (every 2 weeks) check-in calls from a research staff person to assess changes in symptom severity and need for treatment/support.
OTHER	Enhanced Usual Care Control	Participants with moderate to severe anxiety/depression that are randomized to Enhanced Usual Care Control (EUC) will receive information about referrals/resources in their local area (support groups, mental health providers), NCI materials (Facing Forward: Life after Cancer Treatment", self-help workbooks, copy of the CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) workbook on completion of the study.

Timeline

• Start date: 2018-07-19
• Primary completion: 2022-07-29
• Completion: 2022-07-29
• First posted: 2017-02-23
• Last updated: 2026-02-27
• Results posted: 2023-09-21

Locations

166 sites across 1 country: United States