Perceptions of Exceptional Patients in Cancer Care Relating to Their Unusual Survival

The Exceptional Patient in Cancer Care

The main objective of this study is to explore experiences and insights from exceptional patients, patients with cancer that were considered by their physicians as having exceptional course of survival related to their specific disease state.

A secondary future objective of this study is to develop an international multicenter registry and database documenting and examining the experience of patients with cancer that were considered by their physicians as having exceptional course of survival related to their specific disease state.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Stomach Cancer; Pancreatic Cancer; Esophageal Cancer; Lung Cancer

Detailed Description

This pilot study will utilize a population registry in one location (Israel) to identify exceptional patients with one terminal disease. Pancreatic malignancy, advanced lung cancer; advanced stomach cancer and advanced esophageal cancer have been chosen as the specific terminal disease, based on its extremely high mortality rate. These specific situations can apply to a strict definition set by Gotay: "An exceptional survivor is a cancer patient who is alive when the probability of doing so was less than 25% of living for five or more years , for a given type and stage." [48] These types of cancers are associated with a 5 year survival of less than 15% and even with the latest technology and advances in cancer care; there is a very slight improvement in survival of these patients.

The study will be divided into three stages:

1. Identifying the patients Clalit HMO will be approached to obtain ethical committee's approval to the study and access to the HMO registry. Clalit HMO is the largest HMO in Israel with over 4 million members (out of a total population of 7.5 million). After securing this approval, patients will be identified through the HMO registry. We will try to identify patients with a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer advanced lung cancer, advanced stomach cancer and advanced esophageal cancer that are still alive from 2001-2008.

   Each patient's physician will be contacted to verify that the diagnosis is correct. The physician will be asked to contact the patient and obtain his or her consent to participate in the study. Consenting patients will be sent a letter signed by their primary physician that describes the study and indicates that someone will be calling them to invite them to participate in the study. The letter will clarify that participation is completely voluntary and declining to participate will not affect them in any way.

2. Approaching the patients Patients consenting to participate in the study will be contacted by our qualitative researcher (SG) which will interview them following a qualitative study protocol
3. Analysis of findings and preparation of summary report.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 20

Participation Criteria

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

Patients will be identified through the HMO registry in a region of 630,000 members with a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, advanced lung cancer, advanced stomach cancer and advanced esophageal cancer that are still alive from 2001-2008.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

18 years of age or older Ability to speak and read Hebrew, English or Russian. Diagnosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma advanced lung cancer, advanced stomach cancer and advanced esophageal cancer confirmed by the treating physician, laboratory tests and medical imaging techniques.

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma patient advanced lung cancer, advanced stomach cancer and advanced esophageal cancer patient who is alive when his probability of doing so was less than 15%.

Consent to participate in this study

-

Exclusion Criteria:

• Inability to understand the intent of the study Medical condition that would preclude participation in an interview session lasting over 30 minutes Diagnosis of active psychosis or severe cognitive impairment confirmed by the patient's attending physician.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Qualitative Data Collection: Patients' Experience of Exceptional Disease Course	Understanding the patient's experience of a disease process is important in assessing and treating a complicated illness. Qualitative research allows participants to describe an experience in the way that is most meaningful to them. A qualitative approach is deemed as the most appropriate to capture the perceptions and experiences of exceptional patients. This study is using an exploratory, qualitative approach consisting of in-depth, semi-structured interviews. This approach has been widely used in health care to better understand the patient experience. Descriptive analysis of sociodemographic, disease-related, and treatment-related factors were conducted to characterize the sample and to verify that sampling criteria were met. The study endpoint is aimed at reaching saturation of recurring themes that were extracted in the interviews.	Two years

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Meir Medical Center
• Collaborators: Clalit Health Services
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Moshe A Frenkel, MD, Clalit health services

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: May 1, 2012
• Primary Completion (Actual): October 1, 2020
• Study Completion (Actual): December 1, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 30, 2014
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 3, 2014
• First Posted (Estimate): February 5, 2014

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 25, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 23, 2021
• Last Verified: February 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Lung cancer; Pancreatic cancer; Stomach cancer; Cancer care; Exceptional patient; Unexplained survival; still alive from 2001-2008
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Digestive System Diseases; Neoplasms; Neoplasms by Site; Endocrine System Diseases; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms; Digestive System Neoplasms; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Stomach Diseases; Endocrine Gland Neoplasms; Pancreatic Diseases; Stomach Neoplasms; Pancreatic Neoplasms
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2012-1 (SUNY Upstate IRB (Upstate Medical University))

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO