The Transitions Project: Supporting Adults During the Shift From Cancer Treatment to Surveillance

March 25, 2026 updated by: Lara Traeger, Massachusetts General Hospital
This research study is designed to develop and test a new supportive care program to help individuals with lung cancer improve their quality of life after cancer treatment is over.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

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

The aims of this pilot study are to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a brief psychoeducational intervention for participants with cancer who are transitioning from active treatment to surveillance.

The research study procedures include screening for eligibility.

This study consists of 2 parts. It is expected that about 45 people will take part in this research study.

  • In the first part of this study, about 5 participants will complete survey questions and receive a 5-session program.
  • In the second part of this study, about 40 participants will complete 3 surveys, and then will be randomly assigned to receive the 5-session program or to receive one study session (control).
  • These sessions will focus on providing targeted support related to life after cancer treatment. The sessions will focus on skills for coping with uncertainty, managing symptoms, improving social support, and other topics important to the individual.

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.
21

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
    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02115
        • Massachusetts General Hospital

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

21 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 21 or older
  • Diagnosis of non-small cell (NSCLC) or small cell (SCLC) lung cancer or mesothelioma
  • Documented treatment plan with curative intent
  • Ability to read and respond in English
  • Treatment completion eligibility:

Run-in: Has completed treatment including systemic treatments and radiation as determined within the past three weeks by the cancer care team at Massachusetts General Hospital.

RCT: Has completed treatment including systemic treatments +/- radiation and +/- surgery.

  1. If final treatment is systemic therapy +/- radiation: within three weeks after cancer care team determination that treatment is complete.
  2. If final treatment is surgery: within three weeks after hospital discharge following surgery.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Comorbid health condition that would interfere with study participation
  • Current participation in cognitive behavioral therapy treatment

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: Run In
Participants will receive a 5-session psychoeducational intervention, focused on skills to enhance post-treatment quality of life with attention to (a) managing expectations, (b) coping with uncertainty, (c) self-managing residual symptoms and (d) strengthening social support.
Behavioral: Run-In Sessions 1-5
Session 1 explores patient goals and wishes for life after cancer treatment with a study interventionist. Sessions 2-5 focuses on learning and practicing skills to enhance post-treatment quality of life.
Experimental: Intervention
Participants will receive a 5-session psychoeducational intervention, focused on skills to enhance post-treatment quality of life with attention to (a) managing expectations, (b) coping with uncertainty, (c) self-managing residual symptoms and (d) strengthening social support.
Behavioral: RCT Transitions Program Sessions 1-5
Sessions 1-5 focuses on learning and practicing skills to enhance post-treatment quality of life.
Active Comparator: Control
Participants will receive a 1-session intervention, focused on reviewing goal progress for post-treatment quality of life, providing encouragement and support, identifying any current concerns, and providing tailored recommendations and resources.
Behavioral: RCT Control Session
Participants will receive a 1-session intervention, focused on reviewing goal progress for post-treatment quality of life, providing encouragement and support, identifying any current concerns, and providing tailored recommendations and resources.

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
Number of participants enrolled
Time Frame: 12 Weeks
Feasibility will be assessed by calculating the proportions of potential participants enrolled (≥35%)
12 Weeks
Number of participants retained
Time Frame: 12 Weeks
Feasibility will be assessed by calculating the proportions of potential participants retained (≥70%)
12 Weeks
Proportion of intervention arm participants who complete study visits
Time Frame: 12 weeks
Feasibility will be assessed by calculating the proportion of intervention arm participants who complete study visits (≥70% attending ≥60% of sessions)
12 weeks

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
Acceptability of study
Time Frame: Week 12
Participant concerns and recommendations will be used to guide the next trial with respect to intervention content and delivery. Participant responses to the exit interview will be summarized (descriptive statistics for quantitative items) and coded (content analysis for open-ended items)
Week 12
Change in Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Lung Cancer (FACT-L) score
Time Frame: pre-baseline to 12 weeks
This measure assesses multidimensional quality of life including physical well-being, social/family well-being, emotional well-being, functional well-being, and lung cancer-specific concerns. Each item is answered on a scale of 0 (not at all) to 5 (very much). Total scores will be used, with higher scores indicating better quality of life.
pre-baseline to 12 weeks
Change in Fear of Cancer Recurrence Scale 7 score
Time Frame: pre-baseline to 12 weeks
This measure assesses worry about the return of disease with 6 items measured on a 5-point scale and 1 item measured on a 10-point scale. Total scores will be used, with higher scores indicating greater fear of recurrence.
pre-baseline to 12 weeks
Change in Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale score
Time Frame: pre-baseline to 12 weeks
This measure assesses depression and anxiety symptoms (7 items each), and mixed affect (all 14 items). Total scores will be used, with higher scores indicating greater distress.
pre-baseline to 12 weeks
Change in Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support score
Time Frame: pre-baseline to 12 Weeks
This measure assesses social support using 12 items on a 7-point Likert-type scale. Mean scores will be used, with higher scores indicating greater perceived support.
pre-baseline to 12 Weeks

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.
Massachusetts General Hospital

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: Lara Traeger, Ph.D, Massachusetts General Hospital

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.
August 1, 2020

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.
January 4, 2022

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
November 1, 2026

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).
June 24, 2020

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.
June 24, 2020

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.
June 29, 2020

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.
March 27, 2026

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.
March 25, 2026

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.
March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

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.
  • 20-140

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

The Dana-Farber / Harvard Cancer Center encourages and supports the responsible and ethical sharing of data from clinical trials. De-identified participant data from the final research dataset used in the published manuscript may only be shared under the terms of a Data Use Agreement. Requests may be directed to Sponsor Investigator or designee. The protocol and statistical analysis plan will be made available on Clinicaltrials.gov only as required by federal regulation or as a condition of awards and agreements supporting the research.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

Data can be shared no earlier than 1 year following the date of publication

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Contact the Partners Innovations team at http://www.partners.org/innovation

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ICF

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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