Study of Palliative Care Intervention for Advanced Cancer Patients and Their Caregivers -Educate Nurture Advise Before Life Ends (ENABLE III)

ENABLE III is a randomized clinical trial that evaluates a phone-based palliative care intervention designed to improve quality of life, mood, and symptom management for patients with an advanced stage cancer and their caregivers.

The primary aims of this clinical trial are to determine whether a palliative care intervention (introduced immediately or 12 weeks after diagnosis) can improve survival, quality of life, mood, symptom intensity and end-of-life care.

In 2008, cancer claimed more than 565,000 American lives -1,500 people a day. Palliative care strives to improve quality of life (QOL) and to prevent "bad deaths" by providing expert, interdisciplinary care to manage the effects of disease and treatment. Effective end-of-life (EOL) care depends upon proactive, patient-centered interventions to prepare patients and families for the challenges of terminal illness. We were able to demonstrate the feasibility and efficacy of a concurrent oncology palliative care (COPC) intervention in improving quality of life and mood in our previous studies ENABLE I and ENABLE II; however, a number of gaps in our knowledge remain.

Patients will be randomized to begin the intervention either immediately or 12 weeks after a new diagnosis of advanced or recurrent cancer. This phone-based intervention consists of: 1) an Advanced Practice Palliative Care Nurse Interventionist instituting 1a) a 6-session manualized patient curriculum- Charting Your Course (CYC), 1b) a 3-session manualized, caregiver curriculum- the Creativity Optimism Planning Expert information (COPE) program, and 1c) on-going patient and caregiver follow up; and 2) Palliative Care Team Comprehensive Assessment \& Management.

Eligibility Criteria:
INCLUSION CRITERIA FOR PATIENTS:

1. Able to speak and understand English
2. Over age 18
3. NEW diagnosis, recurrence, or progression of an advanced stage cancer within THIRTY days of the date the patient was informed of the diagnosis by his/her oncology clinician.
4. Estimated survival of 2 years or less
5. Diagnosed with an advanced stage cancer such as one of the following:

   * Lung Cancer: Stage IIIB or IV non-small cell, or extensive stage small cell
   * Breast Cancer: Stage IV with poor prognostic indicators including but not limited to: a) \>2 cytotoxic regimens for MBC; b) diagnosis of MBC less then or equal to 12 months since completion of adjuvant or neoadjuvant treatment; c) triple negative disease (ER/PR - and Her 2-);d) parenchymal brain mets and/or carcinomatous meningitis
   * Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancers: Unresectable stage III or IV
   * Genitourinary (GU) Cancers: Stage IV (for prostate cancer inclusion is limited to persons with hormone refractory prostate cancer)
   * Brain Cancer: Unresectable, Grade IV
   * Melanoma, Stage IV
   * Hematologic Malignancies -Leukemia (e.g. acute myeloid leukemia (AML), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) - advanced stage, treatment refractory, poor prognosis cell type or chromosomal abnormalities, "older age" -Lymphoma- Stage IV or treatment refractory Hodgkin's disease or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma -Multiple Myeloma - elevated β2-microglobulin, albumin \<3.5, PCLI \>1%, CRP \>6µg/mL, elevated LDH, plasmablastic morphology, abnormal. chromosome 13.
6. Completion of baseline interview

INCLUSION CRITERIA FOR PATIENTS FOR BIOMARKER SUB-STUDY:

1. Only patients with lung, breast, GI, GU cancer are eligible

INCLUSION CRITERIA FOR CAREGIVERS:

1. Able to read and understand English
2. Anyone identified by the patient as "a person who knows you well \& is involved in your medical care".

PATIENT EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

1. Dementia or significant confusion (Impaired cognitive status as indicated by a score of 3 or less on the Callahan six-item cognitive screening tool 18)
2. Axis I psychiatric diagnosis of severe mental illness (DSM-IV) (e.g. schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or active substance use disorder)
3. Patients will not be excluded if they do not identify a caregiver
4. Prior involvement with palliative care service within the last year
5. Minimum predicted survival of less than 12 weeks (3 months)

PATIENT BIOMARKER SUBSTUDY EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

1. Receiving chronic steroid hormones or unable to schedule specimen collection distant from chemotherapy from steroid pre-medications
2. Unable to come to Norris Cotton Cancer Center (NCCC) for specimen collection times.

CAREGIVER EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

1. Unwilling to participate in study.