Improving Outcomes for Older Adults Undergoing Radiation Therapy

Improving Outcomes for Older Adults Undergoing Radiation Therapy: Prospective Cohort Study

The purpose of this study is to improve healthcare received by people ≥ 65 years who are receiving radiation therapy (RT). The study will primarily examine patients ability to complete RT, changes in a patients' daily function and self-reported toxicities. To collect this information, study participants will be asked to complete surveys and physical and cognitive function assessments at five different timepoints in their treatment: before RT, End of RT, and at 1, 3, and 6 months follow up visits. Findings of this study will help radiation oncologists make more informed decisions for future patients receiving RT.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Cancer; Radiation Therapy

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 150

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • New York
    • New York, New York, United States, 10029
      • One Gustave L Levy Place

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

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

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

All participants presenting to Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Downtown, and Mount Sinai West who meet eligibility criteria will be given the option of participating. The hospitals serve distinct regions of New York City with diverse sociodemographic characteristics. All have RT services for ambulatory and hospitalized patients.

The total number of study enrollments at Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Downtown, and Mount Sinai West twill be approximately 225 over 36 months.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patient must be ≥ 65 years
• Patient must have pathologically confirmed cancer
• Patient must have the ability to provide informed consent, or have a legally authorized representative (LAR) present to provide informed consent on the participant's behalf
• Must be radiation oncology patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Downtown, or Mount Sinai West.

Exclusion Criteria:

• There is no exclusion criteria

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Older Adults in Radiation Therapy; Older Adults who are receiving Radiation Therapy.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Completion of Radiation Treatment	The number of patients who have completed their radiation therapy (RT).	at end of RT, average of 10 days
The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC-QLQ-30) Score Pre-RT	EORTC-QLQ-30 Score consists of 30 items covered by 1 of 3 dimensions: Global health status/quality of life (2 items) with scores ranging from 1 (Very Poor) to 7 (Excellent).; Functional scales (15 total items addressing either physical, role, emotional, cognitive, or social functioning), each item scores ranging from 1 (not at all) to 4 (very much).; Symptom scales (13 total items addressing either fatigue, nausea/vomiting, pain, dyspnoea, insomnia, appetite loss, constipation, diarrhea, or financial impact), each item scores ranging from 1 (not at all) to 4 (very much). All domain scores are calculated as an average of item scores and transformed to 0 to 100 score range. A high score for a functional scale represents a high/healthy level of functioning, a high score for the global health status/quality of life (QoL) represents a high QoL, but a high score for a symptom scale/item represents a high level of symptomatology/problem.	pre-RT, time 0
EORTC-QLQ-30 Score at Post-RT	EORTC-QLQ-30 Score consists of 30 items covered by 1 of 3 dimensions: Global health status/quality of life (2 items) with scores ranging from 1 (Very Poor) to 7 (Excellent).; Functional scales (15 total items addressing either physical, role, emotional, cognitive, or social functioning), each item scores ranging from 1 (not at all) to 4 (very much).; Symptom scales (13 total items addressing either fatigue, nausea/vomiting, pain, dyspnoea, insomnia, appetite loss, constipation, diarrhea, or financial impact), each item scores ranging from 1 (not at all) to 4 (very much). All domain scores are calculated as an average of item scores and transformed to 0 to 100 score range. A high score for a functional scale represents a high/healthy level of functioning, a high score for the global health status/quality of life (QoL) represents a high QoL, but a high score for a symptom scale/item represents a high level of symptomatology/problem.	at end of RT, average of 10 days
EORTC-QLQ-30 Score at 1 month follow-up	EORTC-QLQ-30 Score at 1 month follow up. EORTC-QLQ-30 Score consists of 30 items covered by 1 of 3 dimensions: Global health status/quality of life (2 items) with scores ranging from 1 (Very Poor) to 7 (Excellent).; Functional scales (15 total items addressing either physical, role, emotional, cognitive, or social functioning), each item scores ranging from 1 (not at all) to 4 (very much).; Symptom scales (13 total items addressing either fatigue, nausea/vomiting, pain, dyspnoea, insomnia, appetite loss, constipation, diarrhea, or financial impact), each item scores ranging from 1 (not at all) to 4 (very much). All domain scores are calculated as an average of item scores and transformed to 0 to 100 score range. A high score for a functional scale represents a high/healthy level of functioning, a high score for the global health status/quality of life (QoL) represents a high QoL, but a high score for a symptom scale/item represents a high level of symptomatology/problem.	at 1 month follow-up
EORTC-QLQ-30 Score at 3 months follow up	EORTC-QLQ-30 Score at 3 months follow up. EORTC-QLQ-30 Score consists of 30 items covered by 1 of 3 dimensions: Global health status/quality of life (2 items) with scores ranging from 1 (Very Poor) to 7 (Excellent).; Functional scales (15 total items addressing either physical, role, emotional, cognitive, or social functioning), each item scores ranging from 1 (not at all) to 4 (very much).; Symptom scales (13 total items addressing either fatigue, nausea/vomiting, pain, dyspnoea, insomnia, appetite loss, constipation, diarrhea, or financial impact), each item scores ranging from 1 (not at all) to 4 (very much). All domain scores are calculated as an average of item scores and transformed to 0 to 100 score range. A high score for a functional scale represents a high/healthy level of functioning, a high score for the global health status/quality of life (QoL) represents a high QoL, but a high score for a symptom scale/item represents a high level of symptomatology/problem.	at 3 months follow-up
EORTC-QLQ-30 Score at 6 months follow up	EORTC-QLQ-30 Score at 6 months follow up. EORTC-QLQ-30 Score consists of 30 items covered by 1 of 3 dimensions: Global health status/quality of life (2 items) with scores ranging from 1 (Very Poor) to 7 (Excellent).; Functional scales (15 total items addressing either physical, role, emotional, cognitive, or social functioning), each item scores ranging from 1 (not at all) to 4 (very much).; Symptom scales (13 total items addressing either fatigue, nausea/vomiting, pain, dyspnoea, insomnia, appetite loss, constipation, diarrhea, or financial impact), each item scores ranging from 1 (not at all) to 4 (very much). All domain scores are calculated as an average of item scores and transformed to 0 to 100 score range. A high score for a functional scale represents a high/healthy level of functioning, a high score for the global health status/quality of life (QoL) represents a high QoL, but a high score for a symptom scale/item represents a high level of symptomatology/problem.	at 6 months follow-up

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Short Physical Performance Battery Score at Pre-RT	Physical performance pre-RT, measured by the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), a 10-minute provider-administered test of balance, 4-meter walk, and chair stands, which predicts disability and mortality in older adults and cancer patients. Each of the 3 tests are scored from 0-4 and summed for a total scale range of 0-12, with higher scores indicating better physical function.	pre-RT, time 0
Short Physical Performance Battery Score at at 1 month follow-up	Physical performance at 1 month follow-up, measured by the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), a 10-minute provider-administered test of balance, 4-meter walk, and chair stands, which predicts disability and mortality in older adults and cancer patients. Each of the 3 tests are scored from 0-4 and summed for a total scale range of 0-12, with higher scores indicating better physical function.	at 1 month follow-up
Short Physical Performance Battery Score at 3 months follow-up	Physical performance at 3 month follow-up, measured by the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), a 10-minute provider-administered test of balance, 4-meter walk, and chair stands, which predicts disability and mortality in older adults and cancer patients. Each of the 3 tests are scored from 0-4 and summed for a total scale range of 0-12, with higher scores indicating better physical function.	at 3 months follow-up
Short Physical Performance Battery Score at 6 months follow-up	Physical performance at 6 months follow-up, measured by the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), a 10-minute provider-administered test of balance, 4-meter walk, and chair stands, which predicts disability and mortality in older adults and cancer patients. Each of the 3 tests are scored from 0-4 and summed for a total scale range of 0-12, with higher scores indicating better physical function.	at 6 months follow-up
Patient-Reported Outcomes Version of Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (PRO-CTCAE) Score at Post-RT	Patient reported toxicity outcomes as measured using the PRO-CTCAE scale at post-RT. The PRO-CTCAE is a 5-minute survey, integrating patient perspectives into clinicians' reporting of treatment toxicity. It is validated for use in medical and radiation oncology and has revealed clinician underreporting of toxicity severity in older patients. The survey is scored on a 0-5-point scale, where higher outcomes indicate worse health outcomes.	at end of RT, average of 10 days
PRO-CTCAE Score at 1 month follow-up	Patient reported toxicity outcomes as measured using the PRO-CTCAE scale at 1 month follow-up. The PRO-CTCAE is a 5-minute survey, integrating patient perspectives into clinicians' reporting of treatment toxicity. It is validated for use in medical and radiation oncology and has revealed clinician underreporting of toxicity severity in older patients. The survey is scored on a 0-5-point scale, where higher outcomes indicate worse health outcomes.	at 1 month follow-up
PRO-CTCAE Score at 3 months follow-up	Patient reported toxicity outcomes as measured using the PRO-CTCAE scale at 3 months follow-up. The PRO-CTCAE is a 5-minute survey, integrating patient perspectives into clinicians' reporting of treatment toxicity. It is validated for use in medical and radiation oncology and has revealed clinician underreporting of toxicity severity in older patients. The survey is scored on a 0-5-point scale, where higher outcomes indicate worse health outcomes.	at 3 months follow-up
PRO-CTCAE Score at 6 months follow-up	Patient reported toxicity outcomes as measured using the PRO-CTCAE scale at 6 months follow-up. The PRO-CTCAE is a 5-minute survey, integrating patient perspectives into clinicians' reporting of treatment toxicity. It is validated for use in medical and radiation oncology and has revealed clinician underreporting of toxicity severity in older patients. The survey is scored on a 0-5-point scale, where higher outcomes indicate worse health outcomes.	at 6 months follow-up

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
• Collaborators: National Institute on Aging (NIA)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Kavita Dharmarajan, MD, MSc, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 9, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): October 31, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 31, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 31, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): February 9, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): December 17, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 15, 2025
• Last Verified: November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neoplasms
• Other Study ID Numbers: GCO 19-2371; 1K76AG068516-01A1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: There is no plan to share IPD data.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No