Clinical trial NCT01631565: Early Incorporation of Patient and Family to Attention and Care Program in Oncology Versus Standard of Care
Official title: Management of Symptoms in Patients With Advanced Lung Cancer: Early Incorporation of Patient and Family to Attention and Care Program in Oncology
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: PHASE3
Conditions: Lung Neoplasms
Keywords: Palliative Care
Survival
Quality of life
Lead sponsor: Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia de Mexico
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2012-06-29
Enrollment: 201
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 90
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: There is recent evidence that early palliative care administered to patients helps for their quality of life (QoL). It is however not part of the standard multidisciplinary treatment.

This study intents to evaluate the effect of early palliative care in patients with advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) compared to the standard of care.

Detailed description: The multidisciplinary approach of palliative care for symptom management has an impact on the quality of life (QoL) of patients and their families. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) recommend incorporating early palliative care, simultaneously with cancer treatment. Unfortunately, this recommendation has not been followed in many cancer centers and late referrals to hospice are still frequent.

Patients with lung cancer have more symptoms than patients with other cancer. The impact on QoL and symptom management has acquired a great relevance. However, few studies demonstrating the benefit of early incorporation of palliative care in the management of patients with advanced lung cancer have been shown.

Palliative care is defined as the care given to patients with progressive active and advanced disease, and its main purpose is the relief and prevention of suffering and improving QoL.

In Mexico, the law defines palliative care as comprehensive care for those illnesses not responsive to curative treatment and include, but are not limited, to pain and other symptoms associated with the disease and psychological care, social and spiritual, of the patients and their families.

Psychological aspects The psychological manifestations in patients with lung cancer are determined by several factors. Depression and anxiety are the most common psychological reactions. It has been identified that 25% of cancer patients suffer from major depression at some point during the course of the disease and has been associated with decreased survival and QoL. Patients with anxiety disorders become more attached to medical treatment but seek alternative treatments more often. The main objective of psychological interventions is reducing maladaptive emotional reactions. In advanced stages, caregivers also confront stress and depression that could lead to health problems.

Nutritional aspects Malnutrition is reported in 60 to 79% in patients with lung cancer and is the largest contribution to morbidity and mortality. Cachexia is responsible directly or indirectly to death in one third of patients. The objectives of nutritional support are: improving tolerance to specific cancer treatment, decreasing the incidence of complications and, improving the QoL. Thus, it is necessary to conduct an early diagnosis of nutritional status in order to design nutritional intervention and improve their sense of comfort and QoL.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Clinical stage IV
* ECOG 0-2
* Patients treated virgin
* Receive platinum-based chemotherapy

Exclusion Criteria:

* Suicide Risk
* Delirium
* Cognitive impairment

Primary outcomes:
measure: Global survival
timeFrame: from inclusion until at least 6 months after
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Progression Free Survival
timeFrame: from inclusion until at least 6 months after
measure: Quality of life
timeFrame: from inclusion until at least 6 months after
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Mexico City
country: Mexico
facility: National Cancer Institute- México
state: Distrito Federal
Study officials:
affiliation: Mexico. Nacional Cancer Institute
name: Oscar G Arrieta, MD Msc
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
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citation: Jordhoy MS, Fayers P, Loge JH, Ahlner-Elmqvist M, Kaasa S. Quality of life in palliative cancer care: results from a cluster randomized trial. J Clin Oncol. 2001 Sep 15;19(18):3884-94. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2001.19.18.3884.
citation: Ferris FD, Bruera E, Cherny N, Cummings C, Currow D, Dudgeon D, Janjan N, Strasser F, von Gunten CF, Von Roenn JH. Palliative cancer care a decade later: accomplishments, the need, next steps -- from the American Society of Clinical Oncology. J Clin Oncol. 2009 Jun 20;27(18):3052-8. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2008.20.1558. Epub 2009 May 18.
citation: Akechi T, Okuyama T, Akizuki N, Azuma H, Sagawa R, Furukawa TA, Uchitomi Y. Course of psychological distress and its predictors in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients. Psychooncology. 2006 Jun;15(6):463-73. doi: 10.1002/pon.975.