Feasibility of CALM Therapy in Korean Cancer Patients (CALM_Korea)

Kyungpook National University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Depression

Treatments: Behavioral: Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully (CALM)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07355153

KNUH 2019-05-028

KNUCH 2019-04-026-001 (Other Identifier)

Details and patient eligibility

About

This feasibility study examined the cultural adaptation and implementation of Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully (CALM) therapy for advanced cancer patients in Korea. CALM is a brief manualized individual psychotherapy designed to address psychological distress and existential concerns in patients with advanced disease.

Full description

This single-arm feasibility study evaluated the acceptability, tolerability, and preliminary effectiveness of CALM therapy in the Korean cultural and healthcare context. Patients with advanced or metastatic solid-tumor cancers received 3-6 individual therapy sessions over 3-6 months, delivered by trained psychiatrists.

The study assessed feasibility through recruitment rates, therapy completion rates, and outcome measure completion. A mixed-methods approach included quantitative outcome measures (depression, death anxiety, attachment, quality of life, anxiety) and qualitative interviews with patients and caregivers to evaluate implementation barriers and facilitators.

This study was conducted in collaboration with the developers of CALM therapy at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Canada. Therapists were trained through the international CALM training program, including workshop attendance and supervised training cases under the supervision of the intervention developers.

Enrollment: 90 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 19+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Age ≥19 years

• Fluent in Korean

• Able to provide informed consent

• Diagnosis of advanced or metastatic solid-tumor cancer, including:

  • Stage III or IV lung or ovarian cancer
  • Any stage of pancreatic cancer
  • Stage IV gastrointestinal, gynecological, breast, genitourinary, sarcoma, melanoma, or endocrine cancer
  • Unresectable cholangiocarcinoma, liver, ampullary, or peri-ampullary cancer

Exclusion criteria

• Major communication difficulties
• Inability to commit to 3-6 psychotherapy sessions (e.g., too ill to participate, lack of transportation, insufficient motivation)
• Cognitive impairment as indicated by clinical team or patient chart

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

---

90 participants in 1 patient group

CALM Therapy

Experimental group

Description:

Participants receive 3-6 individual CALM therapy sessions over 3-6 months

Treatment:

Behavioral: Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully (CALM)