NCT05006482

Geriatric Evaluation and Management With Survivorship Health Education for Older Survivors of Cancer, GEM-S Trial

Optimizing Functional Outcomes of Older Cancer Survivors: The GEM-S Study

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: Phase 3
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 668 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University of Rochester · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This phase III trial compares the effect of geriatric evaluation and management with survivorship health education (GEM-S) to usual care on patient-reported physical function in older survivors of cancer. Survivorship care for older adults of cancer usually consists of getting advice from their doctor. This advice may include how to do their daily activities, so they are less tired or how to manage multiple diseases, or long-term side effects from treatment. GEM-S may help improve the physical ability to perform activities of daily living, mental well-being, and memory in older survivors of cancer after chemotherapy. This study may help doctors learn if including GEM-S in their practices improves physical, mental and memory functions in their patients. The study may also help to understand how such care affects cancer patients and their caregivers' quality of life.

Detailed description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: I. To assess the efficacy of GEM-S for improving patient-reported physical function (Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness-Fatigue Physical Well-Being Subscale \[FACIT-PWB\]) in older cancer survivors at 6 months. (Survivor Aim) SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: I. To assess the efficacy of GEM-S for improving patient-reported cognitive function (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy \[FACT\]-cognitive function \[Cog\]) in older cancer survivors at 6 months. TERTIARY OBJECTIVES: I. To assess the preliminary efficacy of GEM-S for improving: Ia. Objective physical function (6-minute walk test) in older cancer survivors at 6 months; Ib. Objective cognitive function (Objective Cognitive Tests-Trail Making Part A/B \[TMT A/B\] and Controlled Oral Word Association \[COWA\] \[i.e., FAS Test\]) in older cancer survivors at 6 months. EXPLORATORY HEALTH CARE OBJECTIVES: I. To explore the preliminary efficacy of GEM-S for improving: Ia. Survivor satisfaction with care (Health Care Climate Questionnaire \[HCCQ\] and communication about aging) at 6 months; Ib. Care coordination (# of contacts for co-management) up to 6 months; Ic. Survivor completion of referral appointments (# completed/# referrals) up to 6 months. EXPLORATORY CAREGIVER OBJECTIVES: I. To explore the preliminary efficacy of GEM-S for improving: Ia. Caregiver distress (Distress Thermometer) at 6 months; Ib. Caregiver quality of life (Caregiver Quality of Life Index) at 6 months; Ic. Satisfaction with care (Health Care Climate Questionnaire \[HCCQ\] and communication about aging) at 6 months. OUTLINE: Practice sites are randomized to 1 of 2 arms. Participants are assigned to arms based on practice site. ARM I: Survivors and caregivers receive routine survivorship follow-up care at their doctor's office for 3 visits over 6 months on study. ARM II: Survivors and caregivers participate in GEMS consultation over 1 hour that includes discussion of results and recommendations from geriatric assessment. Both survivors and caregivers also participate in survivorship health education (SHE) sessions over 75 minutes twice weekly for 4 weeks. Survivors and caregivers also participate in Exercise for Cancer Patients (EXCAP) program, which includes daily walking and resistance exercises. After completion of study intervention, participants are followed up at 6 months.

Conditions

• Lymphoma
• Malignant Solid Neoplasm

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Best Practice	Receive usual follow-up survivorship care
OTHER	Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment	Complete geriatric assessment
OTHER	Educational Intervention	Participate in survivorship health education sessions
OTHER	Exercise Intervention	Participate in SHE-EXCAP program
OTHER	Questionnaire Administration	Ancillary studies
PROCEDURE	Tailored Intervention	Participate in GEM consultation

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-03-21
• Primary completion: 2027-05-17
• Completion: 2027-09-17
• First posted: 2021-08-16
• Last updated: 2026-01-13

Locations

45 sites across 1 country: United States