Printed Education Materials in Patients Who Are Finishing Treatment for Stage I, Stage II, or Stage IIIA Breast Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, Prostate Cancer, or Chest Cancer
Condition: Breast Cancer; Colorectal Cancer; Lung Cancer; Malignant Mesothelioma; Prostate Cancer; Psychosocial Effects of Cancer and Its Treatment; Thymoma and Thymic Carcinoma
MeSH terms: Breast Neoplasms; Lung Neoplasms; Prostatic Neoplasms; Colorectal Neoplasms; Mesothelioma; Mesothelioma, Malignant; Thymoma; Thymus Neoplasms
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      RATIONALE: Printed educational materials, such as the Facing Forward Series: Life After
      Cancer Treatment manual, may help make the transition from cancer patient to cancer survivor
      easier in patients who are finishing treatment for cancer. It is not yet known if the Facing
      Forward Series: Life After Cancer Treatment manual and The Cancer Information Service,
      Questions and Answers fact sheet is more effective than the The Cancer Information Service,
      Questions and Answers fact sheet alone in helping to make life after cancer treatment easier
      and to improve quality of life in patients with breast cancer, colorectal cancer, prostate
      cancer, or chest cancer.

      PURPOSE: This randomized clinical trial is studying how well printed education materials work
      in assisting patients who are finishing treatment for stage I, stage II, or stage IIIA breast
      cancer, colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, or chest cancer to make the transition from
      cancer patient to cancer survivor easier.
    

Detailed description: 
      OBJECTIVES:

      Primary

        -  Determine the efficacy of a psychoeducational intervention comprising a specific print
           intervention manual (Facing Forward Series: Life After Cancer Treatment [Facing Forward
           manual]) and a general print intervention fact sheet (The Cancer Information Service,
           Questions and Answers) vs the general print intervention fact sheet only on the uptake
           of recommended actions (e.g., developing a wellness plan after treatment, dealing with
           pain and fatigue, finding support groups to deal with feelings after treatment, and
           dealing with family issues after treatment) in patients completing active treatment for
           stage I-IIIA breast, prostate, colorectal, or thoracic cancer.

        -  Explore patient process evaluations of the Facing Forward manual in terms of its
           usability, comprehension, and satisfaction.

      Secondary

        -  Examine psychological outcomes (i.e., depressive symptoms, fear of recurrence,
           health-related quality of life, and self-efficacy) as a function of exposure to the
           Facing Forward manual.

      OUTLINE: This is a multicenter, randomized, controlled, open-label, cohort study. Patients
      are stratified according to participating center, prior chemotherapy (yes vs no), and type of
      cancer (breast vs colorectal vs prostate vs thoracic). Patients are randomized to 1 of 2
      arms.

        -  Arm I (intervention): Patients receive a specific print intervention manual entitled
           Facing Forward Series: Life After Cancer Treatment and a general print intervention fact
           sheet entitled The Cancer Information Service, Questions and Answers.

        -  Arm II (control): Patients receive the general print intervention fact sheet entitled
           The Cancer Information Service, Questions and Answers.

      In both arms, patients are evaluated at baseline (within 18 days of the patient's final
      cancer treatment visit), 8 weeks (via mailed home materials), and then at 6 months (via
      mailed home materials). Baseline evaluations include background information (i.e.,
      demographics and medical status), baseline use of educational materials, survivorship
      activities, and psychological factors (i.e., depressive symptoms, quality of life, fear of
      recurrence, and self-efficacy). Psychological factors are also reassessed at 8 weeks and 6
      months, as well as use of educational materials and survivorship activities.

      For patients in both arms, uptake of recommended actions are reassessed. Patients in arm I
      complete ratings of the Facing Forward Series: Life After Cancer Treatment manual usability,
      comprehension, and satisfaction at 8 weeks and 6 months.

      PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 332 patients will be accrued for this study.
    

Intervention name(s): educational intervention; psychosocial assessment and care; quality-of-life assessment
Intervention type(s): Other; Procedure; Procedure
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Other
Keywords: psychosocial effects of cancer and its treatment; stage I breast cancer; stage II breast cancer; stage IIIA breast cancer; stage IIIA colon cancer; stage I prostate cancer; stage IIB prostate cancer; stage IIA prostate cancer; stage III prostate cancer; stage I non-small cell lung cancer; stage II non-small cell lung cancer; stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer; limited stage small cell lung cancer; stage I rectal cancer; stage IIA rectal cancer; stage IIB rectal cancer; stage IIC rectal cancer; stage IIIA rectal cancer; pulmonary carcinoid tumor; stage I thymoma; stage II thymoma; stage III thymoma; stage I colon cancer; stage IIA colon cancer; stage IIB colon cancer; stage IIC colon cancer; stage IA malignant mesothelioma; stage IB malignant mesothelioma; stage II malignant mesothelioma; stage III malignant mesothelioma