NCT05053997

Navigate - Improving Survival and Quality of Life in Vulnerable Lung Cancer Patients

NAVIGATE - Improving Survival and Quality of Life in Vulnerable Lung Cancer Patients Through Nurse Navigation, Symptom Monitoring and Exercise: Study Protocol for a Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 250 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Zealand University Hospital · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Half of patients with lung cancer face a limited life span of one-year survival, which is characterized by severe physical and psychological symptoms. Differences in stage, comorbidity but also treatment may explain a large proportion of the social inequality in lung cancer survival. Some vulnerable patients may not receive first line treatment as planned either due to poor performance status or if they are not able to adhere to treatment appointments. Knowing how to navigate the health system may be a barrier preventing vulnerable patients in receiving optimal treatment. The primary aim of this randomised, controlled trial is to test whether a nurse-led individually tailored program including systematic screening of symptoms using PROs and a physical training program will significantly improve a composite outcome of survival and quality of life as the primary outcome among vulnerable lung cancer patients compared with standard care. Secondary outcomes include adherence to cancer treatment, symptom burden and overall survival.

Detailed description

During a period of 3 years and 10 months, consecutive newly diagnosed (\< 1 week) lung cancer patients will be pre-screened for eligibility and invited to participate at departments of oncology or respiratory medicine in Denmark. Participants (N=250) will be randomized (1:1) to standard treatment plus the intervention (intervention group) or standard treatment (control group) and followed for 1 year. Patients randomized to the control group will receive standard treatment and care consisting of a nurse and a physician, who sees the patient at treatment schedules and during follow-up, i.e. every 3 months for the first 2 years and subsequently annually up to 5 years. Data will be collected from the intervention and the control group at baseline within 6 weeks after diagnosis, and 3, 6 months and 12 months after diagnosis. Physical tests will be performed at baseline and after 3 and 6 months. Baseline physical tests will be allowed after randomization if patients have difficulties in attending the physiotherapy department within 6 weeks after their diagnosis. Considering that participating patients are vulnerable with limited resources we will proactively support patients in responding to questionnaires electronically, on paper or via telephone as per patient's preference allowing evaluation of the primary and secondary outcomes as well as covariates and mechanisms. The treatment factors will be obtained from the lung cancer clinical database and individual medical journals. In order to develop cost utility analyses, information on use of health services will be retrieved from the national registers.

Conditions

• Lung Cancer

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	NAVIGATE	Patients' symptoms are systematically monitored by use of bi-weekly patient reported outcomes and nurse navigators will initiate appropriate actions in terms of medical treatment or guidance of self-management strategies. Nurse navigators will motivate and support patients in health behavior changes and in selfmanaging their treatment and symptoms, and, if relevant, refer to existing rehabilitation services at the hospital or at the local rehabilitation center. Physiotherapists will supervise a training program aimed at improving patients' physical function and thus potentially surgery and overall treatment adherence and outcomes.

Timeline

• Start date: 2022-03-01
• Primary completion: 2026-12-31
• Completion: 2026-12-31
• First posted: 2021-09-23
• Last updated: 2025-12-29

Locations

6 sites across 1 country: Denmark