Behavioral Pain Intervention for Older Cancer Patients

August 10, 2026 updated by: Weill Medical College of Cornell University

Brief Pain Coping Skills Training for Older Women With Breast Cancer and Pain: An Efficacy-Effectiveness Randomized Controlled Trial

This randomized controlled trial examines a 1-session, telehealth pain coping skills training (PCST) protocol with five 15-minute maintenance calls (Brief PCST-Community) adapted for women with breast cancer in medically underserved areas. Pain, health-related quality of life, and self-efficacy for pain management will be assessed at baseline and 10 and 15 weeks later.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
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

Pain continues to be persistent, interfering, and distressing for women with breast cancer. Behavioral cancer pain interventions continue to be poorly implemented with pronounced disparities for older breast cancer patients receiving oncology care in medically underserved areas. Within this context, this randomized controlled trial examines a 1-session, telehealth pain coping skills training (PCST) protocol with five 15-minute maintenance calls (Brief PCST-Community) adapted for women with breast cancer in medically underserved areas. Pain, health-related quality of life, and self-efficacy for pain management will be assessed at baseline and 10 and 15 weeks later.

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 (Estimated)

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.
168

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 Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • North Carolina
      • Durham, North Carolina, United States, 27713
        • Recruiting
        • Duke Cancer Network
        • Contact:
          • Tamara Somers
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Tamara Somers, PhD

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Receiving cancer care at a Duke Cancer Network (DCN) clinic
  • Stage I-IV breast cancer
  • Self-reported pain on at least 10 days in the last month and pain rating of worst pain of 4 or greater on a 0-10 scale in the last week
  • Biologically female
  • Greater than or equal to 55 years old
  • Ability to speak and read English
  • Hearing and vision that allows for successful completion of videoconferencing and phone session

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Participation in the last 6 months in a pain coping skills training program

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: Pain Coping Skills Training
Participants in this group will complete a 50-minute telehealth session with a trained study nurse. During this session, they will be taught how to use several coping strategies for managing pain. This will be followed by 5 weekly, 15-minute supportive phone calls, where the study nurse will reinforce the learned coping skills. They will be asked to complete 2 follow-up surveys (10 weeks and 15 weeks after the first survey).
Behavioral: Pain Coping Skills Training (PCST)
Behavioral pain intervention delivered via telehealth.
No Intervention: Usual Care
Participants in this group will not complete the new program. They will be asked to complete 2 follow-up surveys (10 and 15 weeks after the first survey).

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
Pain severity as measured by the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI)
Time Frame: Baseline, 10-week assessment, 15-week assessment
BPI Pain Severity (worst, least, average, current pain on 0-10 scale) scores are averaged for a total score range of 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating greater pain severity.
Baseline, 10-week assessment, 15-week assessment
Pain interference as measured by the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI)
Time Frame: Baseline, 10-week assessment, 15-week assessment
BPI Pain Interference (7 daily life areas such as mood, sleep, activity rated 0-10) scores are averaged for a total score range of 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating greater pain interference.
Baseline, 10-week assessment, 15-week assessment
Health Related Quality of Life (HR-QOL) as measured by the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS-29) - Physical Function
Time Frame: Baseline, 10-week assessment, 15-week assessment
A PROMIS Physical Function T-score is a standardized number (mean 50, SD 10) from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) that reflects self-reported physical ability with higher scores indicating better function.
Baseline, 10-week assessment, 15-week assessment
Health Related Quality of Life (HR-QOL) as measured by the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS-29) - Mental Health
Time Frame: Baseline, 10-week assessment, 15-week assessment
A PROMIS Mental Health T-score is a standardized number (mean 50, SD 10) from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) that reflects self-reported mental health with higher scores indicating worse mental health.
Baseline, 10-week assessment, 15-week assessment

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
Self-Efficacy for Pain Management
Time Frame: Baseline, 10-week assessment, 15-week assessment
The Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ) is a 10-item scale rating confidence (0-6) in specific tasks despite pain. The total score ranges from 0 to 60, where higher scores indicate greater self-efficacy.
Baseline, 10-week assessment, 15-week assessment

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.
Weill Medical College of Cornell University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Duke University
National Institute on Aging (NIA)

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: Cary Reid, MD, PhD, Weill Medical College of Cornell 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.
June 17, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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.
April 30, 2027

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.
June 1, 2027

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).
December 22, 2025

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.
December 22, 2025

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.
December 24, 2025

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 12, 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.
August 10, 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.
August 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.
  • Pro00117948
  • P30AG022845 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

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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