Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT-HBC) for the Improvement of Cancer Distress in Patients With Hepatobiliary Cancers

Mayo Clinic

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Malignant Hepatobiliary Neoplasm

Treatments: Behavioral: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; Other: Telemedicine; Other: Questionnaire Administration

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07124546

24-010916 (Other Identifier)

NCI-2025-05221 (Registry Identifier)

Details and patient eligibility

About

This clinical trial studies whether Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for patients with hepatobiliary cancers (ACT-HBC) can be used to help improve cancer distress. Patients with hepatobiliary cancer (HBC) often experience high levels of distress and reductions in quality of life. ACT-HBC is a behavioral intervention tailored to patients with HBC. It helps patients cope with difficult thoughts and emotions while staying connected to what matters most in life, which may be an effective way to improve cancer distress.

Enrollment: 60 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• HBC diagnosis
• Age >= 18 years
• Able to provide written informed consent
• Verbally endorse cancer distress
• Access to the internet
• Read and write in English
• Reside in the states of Iowa, Minnesota, or Wisconsin

Exclusion criteria

• Other psychological therapy that started =< 2 months prior to prospective enrollment
• Inability to actively participate in and learn from group therapy (e.g., active/uncontrolled psychotic symptoms, neurological condition, personality pathology) as determined by clinical judgement in Behavioral Medicine Program (BMP) consultation. Individual therapy or alternative group therapy will be offered to patients ineligible per this criterion
• HBC remission

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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60 participants in 1 patient group

Supportive care (ACT-HBC)

Experimental group

Description:

Patients attend ACT-HBC telehealth group sessions over 2 hours QW for 8 weeks.

Treatment:

Other: Questionnaire Administration

Other: Telemedicine

Behavioral: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy