Understanding Patient Perspectives on the Risks of Ionizing Radiation Used for Medical Imaging

June 24, 2015 updated by: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Risks from imaging-related radiation exposure have become a popular topic in the media. Because these tests are commonly applied to patients at a cancer center, it is important to understand what patients know, how they feel about what they know, where they get their information, and how satisfied they are with available risk-benefit communication on this topic.

The purpose of this study is to understand how cancer patients perceive risks and benefits of diagnostic radiation and their satisfaction with healthcare communication on this topic.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

30

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
    • New York
      • New York, New York, United States, 10065
        • Memorial Sloan Kettering 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

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Outpatient clinical practices at MSKCC.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • English-language fluent
  • 18 years of age, or older
  • Provide informed consent
  • Group 1: Patients undergoing chemotherapy for Stage IV colorectal carcinoma.
  • Group 2: Parents of pediatric patients who have undergone treatment for stage 1-3 neuroblastoma.
  • Group 3: Women who have undergone treatment for early stage breast cancer within the preceding 6 months.
  • Group 4: Men undergoing surveillance imaging after treatment for testicular cancer.
  • Group 5: Patients currently or previously enrolled in the MSKCC lung cancer screening program.
  • Group 6: Patients enrolled in or eligible for the thoracic survivorship program.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Participants who don't speak English

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

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Pts undergoing chemotherapy for Stage IV colorectal carcinoma
Six focus groups of 7-9 participants each will be conducted for approximately 90 minutes according to the established methodology of Krueger and Casey. Focus group sessions are semi-structured group interviews in which previously chosen, open-ended questions about topics of interest are posed to participants by a trained moderator.
Behavioral: Focus Group Sessions
Participants will complete a pre-focus group demographic questionnaire. Focus group participants will be asked to report the following: current age; gender; race/ethnicity; income; highest education attained; occupation; and cancer stage if participant has a cancer history. Participants who are parents of pediatric patients will also report their child's current age, gender, and cancer stage. Ten questions will be developed by the investigators and posed to each group by the moderator to solicit the desired information. The objective for the focus groups will be to systematically explore three domains: 1) what participants know about radiation as it relates to medical imaging; 2) how what they know or believe about radiation shapes their attitudes about it; 3) and participant perceptions regarding the availability and adequacy of their sources, including risk-benefit communication with health care providers
Parents of pediatric patients stage 1-3 neuroblastoma
within the preceding 6 months. Six focus groups of 7-9 participants each will be conducted for approximately 90 minutes according to the established methodology of Krueger and Casey. Focus group sessions are semi-structured group interviews in which previously chosen, open-ended questions about topics of interest are posed to participants by a trained moderator.
Behavioral: Focus Group Sessions
Participants will complete a pre-focus group demographic questionnaire. Focus group participants will be asked to report the following: current age; gender; race/ethnicity; income; highest education attained; occupation; and cancer stage if participant has a cancer history. Participants who are parents of pediatric patients will also report their child's current age, gender, and cancer stage. Ten questions will be developed by the investigators and posed to each group by the moderator to solicit the desired information. The objective for the focus groups will be to systematically explore three domains: 1) what participants know about radiation as it relates to medical imaging; 2) how what they know or believe about radiation shapes their attitudes about it; 3) and participant perceptions regarding the availability and adequacy of their sources, including risk-benefit communication with health care providers
Women who have undergone tx for early stage breast cancer
within the preceding 6 months. Six focus groups of 7-9 participants each will be conducted for approximately 90 minutes according to the established methodology of Krueger and Casey. Focus group sessions are semi-structured group interviews in which previously chosen, open-ended questions about topics of interest are posed to participants by a trained moderator.
Behavioral: Focus Group Sessions
Participants will complete a pre-focus group demographic questionnaire. Focus group participants will be asked to report the following: current age; gender; race/ethnicity; income; highest education attained; occupation; and cancer stage if participant has a cancer history. Participants who are parents of pediatric patients will also report their child's current age, gender, and cancer stage. Ten questions will be developed by the investigators and posed to each group by the moderator to solicit the desired information. The objective for the focus groups will be to systematically explore three domains: 1) what participants know about radiation as it relates to medical imaging; 2) how what they know or believe about radiation shapes their attitudes about it; 3) and participant perceptions regarding the availability and adequacy of their sources, including risk-benefit communication with health care providers
Men undergoing surveillance imaging after tx for testicular ca
Six focus groups of 7-9 participants each will be conducted for approximately 90 minutes according to the established methodology of Krueger and Casey. Focus group sessions are semi-structured group interviews in which previously chosen, open-ended questions about topics of interest are posed to participants by a trained moderator.
Behavioral: Focus Group Sessions
Participants will complete a pre-focus group demographic questionnaire. Focus group participants will be asked to report the following: current age; gender; race/ethnicity; income; highest education attained; occupation; and cancer stage if participant has a cancer history. Participants who are parents of pediatric patients will also report their child's current age, gender, and cancer stage. Ten questions will be developed by the investigators and posed to each group by the moderator to solicit the desired information. The objective for the focus groups will be to systematically explore three domains: 1) what participants know about radiation as it relates to medical imaging; 2) how what they know or believe about radiation shapes their attitudes about it; 3) and participant perceptions regarding the availability and adequacy of their sources, including risk-benefit communication with health care providers
Men & women enrolled in the MSKCC lung ca screening program
Six focus groups of 7-9 participants each will be conducted for approximately 90 minutes according to the established methodology of Krueger and Casey. Focus group sessions are semi-structured group interviews in which previously chosen, open-ended questions about topics of interest are posed to participants by a trained moderator.
Behavioral: Focus Group Sessions
Participants will complete a pre-focus group demographic questionnaire. Focus group participants will be asked to report the following: current age; gender; race/ethnicity; income; highest education attained; occupation; and cancer stage if participant has a cancer history. Participants who are parents of pediatric patients will also report their child's current age, gender, and cancer stage. Ten questions will be developed by the investigators and posed to each group by the moderator to solicit the desired information. The objective for the focus groups will be to systematically explore three domains: 1) what participants know about radiation as it relates to medical imaging; 2) how what they know or believe about radiation shapes their attitudes about it; 3) and participant perceptions regarding the availability and adequacy of their sources, including risk-benefit communication with health care providers
Men and women enrolled in the thoracic survivorship
Six focus groups of 7-9 participants each will be conducted for approximately 90 minutes according to the established methodology of Krueger and Casey. Focus group sessions are semi-structured group interviews in which previously chosen, open-ended questions about topics of interest are posed to participants by a trained moderator.
Behavioral: Focus Group Sessions
Participants will complete a pre-focus group demographic questionnaire. Focus group participants will be asked to report the following: current age; gender; race/ethnicity; income; highest education attained; occupation; and cancer stage if participant has a cancer history. Participants who are parents of pediatric patients will also report their child's current age, gender, and cancer stage. Ten questions will be developed by the investigators and posed to each group by the moderator to solicit the desired information. The objective for the focus groups will be to systematically explore three domains: 1) what participants know about radiation as it relates to medical imaging; 2) how what they know or believe about radiation shapes their attitudes about it; 3) and participant perceptions regarding the availability and adequacy of their sources, including risk-benefit communication with health care providers

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
characterize participant knowledge, attitudes
Time Frame: 2 years
about imaging radiation, information sources, and satisfaction with risk-benefit communication.
2 years

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Raymond Thornton, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Helpful Links

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

November 1, 2011

Primary Completion (Actual)

June 1, 2015

Study Completion (Actual)

June 1, 2015

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

November 28, 2011

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 28, 2011

First Posted (Estimate)

December 1, 2011

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

June 25, 2015

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 24, 2015

Last Verified

June 1, 2015

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 11-185

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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