Promoting Quality of Life Among Young Adult Cancer Survivors

August 9, 2018 updated by: Carla Berg, Emory University
This study expands on a prior pilot study to refine the intervention messaging to focus on goal-oriented thinking, include a coach, and extend the intervention to a larger sample of young adult cancer survivors (aged 18-39 years) recruited from two National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers (Emory's Winship Cancer Institute in Atlanta; University of Kentucky's Markey Cancer Center in Lexington). Participants will be randomly assigned (stratified by age and sex) to one of the 8-week treatment conditions in a 2:1 ratio (2 to intervention: 1 to attention control).

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Young adulthood is a critical time for negotiating several life transitions and establishing and pursuing important life goals. Unfortunately, a cancer diagnosis disrupts this period of life for more than 60,000 people annually in the U.S. Compared to those without a history of cancer, young adult cancer survivors report poorer mental and physical health; moreover, they report significantly greater disruption in their goal pursuits than cancer survivors diagnosed at a later age. However, this high-risk group has been underserved and understudied, particularly in terms of intervention research to address these sequelae. Hope, a positive psychology construct that taps the ways in which people choose and pursue goals, is particularly relevant to this population. Additionally, higher hope is related to engaging in health promoting behaviors and living healthier lifestyles, which reduces risk of disease and adverse late effects and ultimately increase quality of life (QOL). The research team has pioneered a app-based behavioral intervention called Achieving Wellness After Kancer in Early life (AWAKE), aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles - specifically targeting mental health and positive health behaviors - among young adult cancer survivors. The proposed study will refine the intervention messaging to focus on goal-oriented thinking, include a coach, and extend the prior pilot work to a larger sample of young adult cancer survivors (aged 18-39 years) recruited from two NCI-designated cancer centers (Emory's Winship Cancer Institute in Atlanta; University of Kentucky's Markey Cancer Center in Lexington). In this randomized controlled trial, recipients of the AWAKE intervention will be compared to an attention control group.

The specific aims of this study are to:

Aim 1. Test the feasibility and acceptability of AWAKE among intervention participants. The primary feasibility indicators are participation rates and retention rates. The primary acceptability indicators are use of and satisfaction with intervention components.

Aim 2. Estimate effect sizes of AWAKE vs. control at 2 and 6 months to inform sample size calculations for the subsequent efficacy trial. The primary outcome is changes in hope, per the Trait Hope Scale. The secondary outcome is changes in quality of life, per the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - General (FACT-G).

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
57

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Georgia
      • Atlanta, Georgia, United States, 30322
        • Emory University Winship Cancer Institute
    • Kentucky
      • Lexington, Kentucky, United States, 40536
        • Markey Cancer Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 39 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Aged 18 to 39, as of January 15th, 2017
  • Speak English
  • Be within two years of cancer treatment completion (since January 15th, 2015)
  • Have a functioning smartphone and reliable internet access
  • Be willing to complete study activities

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Cancer recurrence since treatment completion
  • Diagnosis of a central nervous system cancer (to ensure requisite mental/emotional functioning to engage in the program)
  • Diagnosis of a thyroid cancer
  • History of alcohol or drug dependency in the past year, or psychosis, bipolar disorder, or major depressive disorder
  • In hospice

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: App-based behavioral intervention
Participants randomized to this study arm will take part in the Achieving Wellness After Kancer in Early life (AWAKE) behavioral intervention for 8 weeks.
Behavioral: App-based behavioral intervention
Achieving Wellness After Kancer in Early life (AWAKE) is a behavioral intervention that includes a smartphone app and coaching. AWAKE contains eight modules, and participants will complete the one module every week. App functioning will facilitate weekly homework assignments and include health education messaging, the ability to track progress toward goals over time via self-monitoring and graphical depictions of progress, audio-recordings of guided imagery exercises and relaxation exercises (e.g., progressive muscle relaxation), videos of topic-related inspirational material, and a portal for interacting with the coach. The coach will call each intervention participant weekly. Each coaching session will last roughly 30 minutes and involve four segments that will correspond to the module for the week. The coach will send daily text messages to participants encouraging their goal pursuits and providing other sources of support related to that week's homework.
Other Names:
  • AWAKE
Active Comparator: Attention control group
Participants randomized to this study arm will take part in a behavioral intervention and coaching for 8 weeks.
Behavioral: Attention control group
The attention control group will receive the same components as the intervention group, but the educational modules will contain different content than those receiving the AWAKE intervention.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Adult Trait Hope Scale Score
Time Frame: Baseline, Month 2, Month 6
The Adult Trait Hope Scale is a 12-item survey where respondents indicate how true a statement is on a scale of 1 (definitely false) to 8 (definitely true). The Hope Scale includes two subscales of four items each plus four distracter items. Higher scores on the Pathways subscale (example question: "I can think of many ways to get out of a jam") indicate higher levels of pathways thinking. Higher scores on the Agency subscale (example question: "I energetically pursue my goals") indicate higher levels of agency thinking. The subscales will be summed to obtain a total hope score. Total scores can range from 8 to 64 with higher scores indicating higher levels of hope.
Baseline, Month 2, Month 6

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) Score
Time Frame: Baseline, Month 2, Month 6

The 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) asks respondents to rate their health and abilities to do their usual tasks. The SF-36 uses a variety of questions and response options and includes 8 subscales (physical functioning, role limitations due to physical health, role limitations due to emotional health, energy/fatigue, emotional well-being, social functioning, pain, and general health). Responses are coded on a scale of 0 to 100 where 0 is the worst possible health and 100 is the most favorable health score. The coded responses will be summed and averaged to obtain a mean score for the entire survey.

The SF-36 is standardized to the general population with a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10. Scores above 50 indicate better than average health while scores below 50 are worse than average health scores.
Baseline, Month 2, Month 6
Change in Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - General (FACT-G) Score
Time Frame: Baseline, Month 2, Month 6
The FACT-G is a 27-item quality of life (QOL) measure specific to cancer patients to provide insight into cancer specific factors in four dimensions (physical, social/family, emotional, functional well-being). Participants respond to a list of statements that tend to impact people with cancer by indicating how much they are impacted on a scale of 0 (not at all) to 4 (very much). Scores for negatively worded statements are reversed so that higher scores indicate positive health. Scores from the four dimensions can be summed to create a total score. Total possible scores range from 0 to 108, with higher scores indicating increased well being.
Baseline, Month 2, Month 6

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Participation rate
Time Frame: Baseline
The participation rate will be recorded to assess feasibility of the intervention.
Baseline
Retention rate
Time Frame: Month 2, Month 6
The retention rate will be recorded to assess feasibility of the intervention.
Month 2, Month 6
Use of AWAKE
Time Frame: Month 2
Acceptability will be assessed by evaluating the number of participants in the intervention who use the AWAKE app. Participants will be asked about use of specific components of the app, such as watching the videos, recording health behaviors and mood, and completing homework.
Month 2
Satisfaction with AWAKE
Time Frame: Month 2
Participants randomized to AWAKE will receive a survey to assess their satisfaction with the intervention. Participants will indicate the usefulness of the different components of the AWAKE program as well as overall satisfaction with the program.
Month 2

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Emory University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Carla Berg, PhD, Emory University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
February 9, 2017

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
July 31, 2018

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
July 31, 2018

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
February 21, 2018

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 21, 2018

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
February 26, 2018

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
August 10, 2018

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 9, 2018

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • IRB00086979

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

Undecided

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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