Family Caregiver Palliative Care Intervention in Supporting Caregivers of Patients With Stage II-IV Gastrointestinal, Gynecologic, Urologic and Lung Cancers

September 29, 2026 updated by: City of Hope Medical Center

A Randomized Trial of a Family Caregiver Palliative Care Intervention

This randomized clinical trial studies the Family Caregiver Palliative Care Intervention in supporting caregivers of patients with stage II-IV gastrointestinal, gynecologic, urologic and lung cancers. Education and telephone counseling may reduce stress and improve the well-being and quality of life of caregivers of cancer patients.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. Test the effects of the Family Caregiver Palliative Care Intervention (FCPCI) on family caregivers of patients with gastrointestinal, gynecologic, urologic and lung cancers in the experimental group on caregiver burden and caregiving skills preparedness as compared to family caregivers in the control group.

II. Test the effects of the FCPCI on family caregivers of patients with gastrointestinal, gynecologic, urologic and lung cancers in the experimental group on quality of life (QOL) and psychological distress as compared to family caregivers in the control group.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. Describe family caregivers' self-care behavior, comparing the experimental and control groups.

II. Describe family caregivers' resource use, comparing the experimental and control groups.

III. Identify subgroups of family caregivers who benefit most from the FCPCI in relation to sociodemographic, health status, and patient characteristics.

IV. Describe family caregivers' satisfaction with the FCPCI.

V. Describe caregiver out-of-pocket costs and the cost of the intervention.

OUTLINE: Participants are randomized to 1 of 2 arms.

ARM I: Participants receive FCPCI with an advanced practice nurse (APN), comprising 4 home education sessions once weekly followed by 4 telephone support sessions for 30 minutes once monthly and 24 hour telephone support available for 6 months.

ARM II: Participants receive usual care

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

200

Phase

  • 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
    • California
      • Duarte, California, United States, 91010
        • City of Hope Medical 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

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Primary family caregivers of cancer patients with gastrointestinal (colorectal, pancreatic, gastric), gynecologic, urinary or lung cancers who are entering the City of Hope for treatment or follow-up
  • Primary family caregivers of cancer patients who are diagnosed with stage II-IV disease
  • Primary family caregivers of cancer patients with > 6 months prognosis
  • Living within a 50 mile radius of the City of Hope

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: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Arm I (FCPCI)

Participants receive FCPCI with an APN, comprising 4 home education sessions once weekly followed by 4 telephone support sessions for 30 minutes once monthly and 24 hour telephone support available for 6 months.
Other: educational intervention

Receive FCPCI home education sessions

Other Names:
  • intervention, educational
Behavioral: telephone-based intervention

Receive FCPCI telephone support sessions and 24 hour telephone support

Procedure: quality-of-life assessment

Ancillary studies

Other Names:
  • quality of life assessment
Other: questionnaire administration

Ancillary studies
No Intervention: Arm II (usual care)

Participants receive usual care.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Effects of Family Caregiver Palliative Care Intervention (FCPCI) on caregiver burden
Time Frame: Up to 6 months

Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) will be used to test group differences. Caregiver burden subscales may be tested using multivariate ANCOVA (MANCOVA).
Up to 6 months
Effects of FCPCI on caregiving skills preparedness
Time Frame: Up to 6 months

ANCOVA will be used to test group differences. Caregiver burden subscales may be tested using MANCOVA.
Up to 6 months
Effects of FCPCI on Quality Of Life (QOL)
Time Frame: Up to 6 months

ANCOVA will be used to test group differences. MANCOVA may be used to test group differences of QOL subscale scores.
Up to 6 months
Effects of FCPCI on psychological distress
Time Frame: Up to 6 months

ANCOVA will be used to test group differences. MANCOVA may be used to test group differences of QOL subscale scores.
Up to 6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Caregiver's self-care behavior
Time Frame: Up to 6 months

Qualitative analyses will be conducted on the narrative responses to the Self-Care Behaviors instrument. Self-care behaviors will be coded within each category. Results will be reviewed for consensus and validation, and any discrepancies will be resolved. Tables of coded themes with examples will be created.
Up to 6 months
Caregivers' resource use
Time Frame: Up to 6 months

The qualitative analysis will be conducted on the narrative responses to the Resource Use instrument. Resources will be coded within each category. Results will be reviewed for consensus and validation, and any discrepancies will be resolved. Tables of categories and codes will be created.
Up to 6 months
Identification of subgroups of family caregivers who benefit most from the FCPCI in relation to sociodemographic, health status, and patient characteristics
Time Frame: 3 months

In four separate hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses, the 3 month outcome measure (caregiver burden, skills preparedness, psychological distress, and total QOL) will be regressed first on baseline measures for the relevant outcomes, followed by demographic and caregiver health status variables, and then by patient characteristics and severity of illness, using dummy-coding as appropriate.
3 months
Family caregivers' satisfaction with the FCPCI
Time Frame: 6 months

A descriptive analysis of the brief satisfaction survey item results for subjects in the experimental group will be conducted, summarizing number and percent for normal data or means and standard deviations for continuous data.
6 months
Caregiver out-of-pocket costs
Time Frame: Up to 6 months

A descriptive analysis of family caregivers' costs will be conducted.
Up to 6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

City of Hope Medical Center

Collaborators

National Cancer Institute (NCI)
American Cancer Society (ACS) National Office

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Betty Ferrell, City of Hope Medical Center

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)

October 29, 2013

Primary Completion (Actual)

May 23, 2019

Study Completion (Actual)

May 23, 2019

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 1, 2013

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 1, 2013

First Posted (Estimated)

May 3, 2013

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

October 1, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 29, 2026

Last Verified

September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 08176
  • NCI-2013-00839 (Registry Identifier: CTRP (Clinical Trial Reporting Program))

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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