RecruitingNot ApplicableNCT03068013

Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully (CALM) Adapted to Italian Cancer Care Setting

Effectiveness of a Brief Manualized Intervention Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully (CALM) Adapted to the Italian Cancer Care Setting. Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

Sponsor

Università degli Studi di Ferrara

Enrollment

171 participants

Start Date

Oct 11, 2018

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Conditions

Quality of Life Depression Anxiety

Summary

Background: Patients with advanced cancer suffer from a variety of psycho-social symptoms that impair quality of life and may benefit from psychotherapeutic treatment. We describe here the methodology of a randomized controlled trial to test the effectiveness of a novel and brief semi-structured psychotherapeutic intervention, called Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully (CALM), originally developed in Canada and now cross-culturally tested in Italy. Methods/Design: The study is a single-blinded randomized controlled trial with 2 conditions: CALM intervention versus nonspecific supportive intervention (SPI) and assessments at baseline, 3 and 6 months. The coordinating site is the Program on Psycho-Oncology and Psychiatry in Palliative Care, University of Ferrara and Integrated Department of Mental Health, S. Anna University Hospital, in Ferrara, Italy. Another centre from northern and southern Italy will collaborate. Eligibility criteria include: ≥ 18 years of age; Italian fluency; no cognitive impairment; and diagnosis of advanced cancer. The intervention consists of 12 sessions , following the CALM manual and allowing for flexibility to meet individual patients' needs. It is delivered over a 6-month period and provides reflective space for patients (and their primary caregivers) to address 4 main domains: symptom management and communication with health care providers; changes in self and relations with close others; sense of meaning and purpose; and the future and mortality. The primary outcome is depression and the primary endpoint is at 6 months. Secondary outcomes include demoralization, generalized anxiety, death anxiety, spiritual well-being, quality of life, attachment security, posttraumatic growth, communication with partners, and satisfaction with clinical interactions. Discussion: This trial is being conducted to determine the effectiveness of CALM in an Italian cancer setting. The intervention has potential cross-national relevance and, if shown to be effective, has the potential to be disseminated as a new approach in oncology to relieve distress and promote psychological well-being in patients with advanced cancer.

Eligibility

Min Age: 18 Years

Inclusion Criteria4

years of age or more
fluency in Italian language;
no cognitive impairment;
confirmed or working diagnosis of "wet" stage IIIB (those not treated with curative intent) or IV lung cancer; any stage of pancreatic or stage IV GI cancer, stage III or IV ovarian and fallopian tube cancers, or other stage IV gynecological cancer; and stage IV breast, genitourinary, sarcoma, melanoma or endocrine cancers (expected survival of 12-18 months); a score ≥10 at the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ9) or ≥ 20 at the Death and Dying Distress Scale (DDAS). -

Exclusion Criteria3

communication difficulties;
inability to commit to the required 6 sessions (i.e., too ill to participate, lack of transportation, etc.);
actively seeing a psychotherapist, and

Interventions

BEHAVIORALCALM

CALM intervention covers four domains, namely: 1) Symptom management and communication with health care providers; 2) Changes in self and relations with close others, 3) Spiritual well-being, sense of meaning and purpose, 4) Preparing for the future, sustaining hope and facing mortality

BEHAVIORALSPI

Active Comparator: Supportive psycho-oncology intervention Supportive psycho-oncology intervention (SPI) includes counseling, psychoeducation and crisis intervention, which is the usual care intervention provided in our centres.