Geriatric Assessment and Nursing Telephone Intervention in Elderly Women With Ovarian Cancer

Older woman with ovarian cancer have a worse prognosis compared to younger patients. However, the reason is not known. Currently, the standard of care is to evaluate younger and older patients with cancer the same way. However, older patients with cancer often have more complicated issues to manage. For example, older patients often have other medical problems, take more medications, and be dependent on others for help and transportation. Too often, the medical team is unaware of these issues which can effect the patients care.

The purpose of this study is to apply a set of questions designed specifically for patients with cancer who are older than 65 years of age. These questions are called a geriatric assessment.

The investigators want to better understand which older patients with ovarian cancer will be able to tolerate the chemotherapy and surgery and why. This study will also see if a telephone call from a nurse who specializes in caring for older patients will improve patient care. This study will determine how feasible it is to perform geriatric assessments and telephone calls in patients with ovarian cancer.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Ovarian Cancer; Fallopian Tube Cancer; Peritoneal Cancer
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: geriatric assessment and telephone call from nurse; Other: geriatric assessment and no call from nurse

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 50

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • New York
    • Commack, New York, United States, 11725
      • Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center at Commack
    • Commack, New York, United States, 11725
      • Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center @ Suffolk
    • New York, New York, United States, 10065
      • Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 65 years and older (Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

The MSKCC Gynecologic clinic

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients must be > or = to age of 65. Will receive platinum-based chemotherapy and surgery at MSKCC for stage II-IV ovarian, fallopian tube or peritoneal cancer.
• Pathologic confirmation or high suspicion based on Ca125 level and/or radiologic evidence of ovarian, fallopian tube or peritoneal cancer.
• Able to understand English.
• Be able to provide informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Enrolled on a phase I trial.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Observational Models: Cohort
• Time Perspectives: Prospective

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
patient will receive a phone call from nurse; The proposed study will be a prospective longitudinal feasibility study of 50 older adults with a recent diagnosis of stage II, III or IV ovarian cancer who will receive standard first line chemotherapy and surgery over approximately a six-month period. Half of the 50 patients receive a weekly telephone call from geriatric nurse practitioner (NP); the remaining 25 patients would receive standard oncology care alone (randomization).	Behavioral: geriatric assessment and telephone call from nurse; The geriatric assessment will be completed at four time points: 1) on the day the patient receives a new chemotherapy regimen or within 30 days prior, 2) within 30 days of completion of the chemotherapy regimen (or at 12 months from study entry +/-30 days if the chemotherapy regimen is still being continued), 3) within 30 days prior to surgical debulking, and 4) 30 days after surgical debulking. The patient will receive a phone call once a week by a nurse who is an expert in caring for older patients. He/she will be asking questions about symptoms, medications and support at home. Each call is designed to last less than 30 minutes.
patients will not receive a phone call from nurse; The proposed study will be a prospective longitudinal feasibility study of 50 older adults with a recent diagnosis of stage II, III or IV ovarian cancer who will receive standard first line chemotherapy and surgery over approximately a six-month period. Half of the 50 patients receive a weekly telephone call from geriatric nurse practitioner (NP); the remaining 25 patients would receive standard oncology care alone (randomization).	Other: geriatric assessment and no call from nurse; The geriatric assessment will be completed at four time points: 1) on the day the patient receives a new chemotherapy regimen or within 30 days prior, 2) within 30 days of completion of the chemotherapy regimen (or at 12 months from study entry +/-30 days if the chemotherapy regimen is still being continued), 3) within 30 days prior to surgical debulking, and 4) 30 days after surgical debulking. They will not receive the phone calls, questions and symptoms will be addressed directly by the doctors and nurses on the medical and surgical teams.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
feasibility of a geriatric assessment (GA)	Geriatric Assessment Measures Selected Based on Reliability, Validity, Brevity, & Prognostic Value. We will measure: the percentage of patients able to complete GA on their own; the length of time to complete GA; patient satisfaction with the GA, identifying items that were distressing or difficult to comprehend; the percentage of patients who completed all four serial GA;	2 years
feasibility of a weekly geriatric nursing telephone intervention	the percentage of patients able to complete all weekly telephone calls; the length of time for each telephone call; patient satisfaction with the weekly telephone call.	2 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
estimate if the cancer-specific GA parameters will predict toxicity.	describe chemotherapy and surgical toxicity. We will describe the chemotherapy & surgical toxicity, estimate & correlation of toxicity with geriatric assessment variables and determine any differences between the telephone intervention vs. the control groups. We will collect 1) Grade 3-5 chemotherapy toxicity; 2) Hospitalizations; 3) Chemotherapy dose delay or reduction; 4) Percentage of patients who complete all 6 cycles of chemotherapy; 5) Percentage of patients who undergo surgical debulking (optimal, suboptimal, no surgery); 6) Surgical complications (MSKCC GYN Surgical Grading System).	2 years
differences in the surgical and chemotherapy toxicity	nursing telephone intervention group vs. the control groups. Will describe chemotherapy & surgical toxicity, estimate any correlation of toxicity with geriatric assessment variables & determine any differences between telephone intervention vs. the control groups. Will collect 1) Grade 3-5 chemotherapy toxicity; 2) hospitalizations; 3) Chemotherapy dose delay or reduction; 4) Percentage of patients who complete all 6 cycles of chemotherapy; 5) Percentage of patients who undergo surgical debulking (optimal, suboptimal, no surgery); 6) Surgical complications (MSKCC GYN Surgical Grading System).	2 years

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: William Tew, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 8, 2011
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 17, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): April 17, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 10, 2011
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 14, 2011
• First Posted (Estimated): November 15, 2011

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 23, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 18, 2025
• Last Verified: April 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Quality of Life; Geriatric Assessment; 11-164; Fallopian Tubes
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Urogenital Diseases; Genital Diseases; Endocrine System Diseases; Urogenital Neoplasms; Neoplasms by Site; Neoplasms; Female Urogenital Diseases; Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications; Neoplasms by Histologic Type; Genital Diseases, Female; Endocrine Gland Neoplasms; Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial; Ovarian Diseases; Adnexal Diseases; Genital Neoplasms, Female; Gonadal Disorders; Carcinoma; Fallopian Tube Diseases; Carcinoma, Ovarian Epithelial; Ovarian Neoplasms; Fallopian Tube Neoplasms
• Other Study ID Numbers: 11-164