Psychosocial Adjustment After Radiation Therapy in Patients With Cancer

Summary

RATIONALE: Gathering information about psychological and social adjustment after radiation therapy in patients with cancer may help doctors plan the best treatment.

PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying psychosocial adjustment after radiation therapy in patients with breast cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, or prostate cancer.

Conditions

• Breast Cancer
• Cognitive/Functional Effects
• Colorectal Cancer
• Lung Cancer
• Prostate Cancer
• Psychosocial Effects of Cancer and Its Treatment

Interventions

OTHER

questionnaire administration

Two weeks before completing planned radiotherapy, patients undergo assessment of stress appraisal and other factors predictive of post-radiotherapy psychosocial adjustment. At 1 month after completion of radiotherapy, patients undergo repeat assessment of stress appraisal and psychosocial adjustment.

PROCEDURE

cognitive assessment

Patients complete psychosocial assessments, including measures of patient perceptions of their illness (i.e., cognitive appraisal) and of the factors influencing their perceptions (i.e., uncertainty by the Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale-Community Form; symptom distress by the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale Short Form; and comorbidity by the Charlson Comorbidity Index).

PROCEDURE

psychosocial assessment and care

Patients complete psychosocial assessments, including measures of patient perceptions of their illness (i.e., cognitive appraisal) and of the factors influencing their perceptions (i.e., uncertainty by the Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale-Community Form; symptom distress by the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale Short Form; and comorbidity by the Charlson Comorbidity Index).

PROCEDURE

quality-of-life assessment

At 1 month after completion of radiotherapy, patients undergo repeat assessment of stress appraisal and psychosocial adjustment.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Cancer Institute (NCI)

  collaborator NIH

• Case Comprehensive Cancer Center

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Barbara Daly, PhD, RN · Case Medical Center, University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center

• Susan Mazanec, RN · Case Medical Center, University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2008-08-31

Primary Completion

2009-02-28

Completion

2009-05-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations