A Chaplain-clinician Led Spiritual Care (PEACE) Intervention on Spiritual/Religious Beliefs Related to Medical Care in Patients With Advanced Cancer: a Pilot Clinical Trial

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Advanced Cancer; Spiritual Care

Treatments: Other: Usual Care; Other: Peace Intervention

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07246954

NCI-2025-08254 (Other Identifier)

2025-1052

Details and patient eligibility

About

To examine the feasibility and acceptability of chaplain-clinician led spiritual care (PEACE: Perception, Exploring, Addressing, Compassionate Connection, Embracing) intervention in patients with advanced cancer.

Full description

Primary Objectives

(Phase 1): To examine the feasibility and acceptability of a Chaplain-Clinician led spiritual care (PEACE: Perception, Exploring, Addressing, Compassionate Connection, Embracing) intervention in patients with advanced cancer admitted to a comprehensive cancer center in a single-arm pilot trial. Evaluation of feasibility will be per ≥70% participation in all sessions.

Acceptability will be assessed as ≥70% reporting satisfaction and ≥70% recommending PEACE intervention to others at the post-treatment assessment.

(Phase 2): To examine the within-group change in the influence of spiritual/religious beliefs on medical care (Question 2 in the Religious Beliefs in End-of-Life Medical Care [RBEC] tool: I will accept every possible medical treatment because my faith tells me to do everything I can to stay alive longer) from baseline to post-intervention assessments at 2 + 1 days in participants who participate in the PEACE intervention group and the usual care group.

Enrollment: 60 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Eligibility Criteria

1. Participants with advanced cancer (locally advanced, metastatic, recurrent, or incurable) seen by the participant supportive/palliative care mobile team at MD Anderson Cancer Center.
2. Respond "somewhat to A great deal" to the question in the RBEC questionnaire "I will accept every possible medical treatment because my faith tells me to do everything I can to stay alive longer".
3. Participant s aged 18 years or over.
4. Karnofsky performance status ≥30% at time of inclusion into study.
5. Normal cognitive status as determined by the supportive care clinicians based on the ability to understand the nature of the study and consent process.
6. Only English-speaking, as determined by their ability to understand the informed consent, the intervention, and the assessment tools.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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60 participants in 2 patient groups

Phase 1

Experimental group

Description:

Patients will participate in two PEACE intervention sessions, which will last 30-60 minutes each.

Treatment:

Other: Peace Intervention

Phase 2

Experimental group

Description:

Usual care is a comprehensive evaluation of the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the patient by the Supportive/Palliative Care medical team

Treatment:

Other: Peace Intervention

Other: Usual Care