Geriatric Assessment and Nursing Telephone Intervention in Elderly Women With Ovarian Cancer

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Peritoneal Cancer; Fallopian Tube Cancer; Ovarian Cancer

Treatments: Other: geriatric assessment and no call from nurse; Behavioral: geriatric assessment and telephone call from nurse

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01471483

11-164

Details and patient eligibility

About

Older woman with ovarian cancer have a worse prognosis compared to younger patients. However, the reason is not known. Currently, the standard of care is to evaluate younger and older patients with cancer the same way. However, older patients with cancer often have more complicated issues to manage. For example, older patients often have other medical problems, take more medications, and be dependent on others for help and transportation. Too often, the medical team is unaware of these issues which can effect the patients care.

The purpose of this study is to apply a set of questions designed specifically for patients with cancer who are older than 65 years of age. These questions are called a geriatric assessment.

The investigators want to better understand which older patients with ovarian cancer will be able to tolerate the chemotherapy and surgery and why. This study will also see if a telephone call from a nurse who specializes in caring for older patients will improve patient care. This study will determine how feasible it is to perform geriatric assessments and telephone calls in patients with ovarian cancer.

Enrollment: 50 estimated patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 65+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patients must be > or = to age of 65. Will receive platinum-based chemotherapy and surgery at MSKCC for stage II-IV ovarian, fallopian tube or peritoneal cancer.
• Pathologic confirmation or high suspicion based on Ca125 level and/or radiologic evidence of ovarian, fallopian tube or peritoneal cancer.
• Able to understand English.
• Be able to provide informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

• Enrolled on a phase I trial.

Trial design

50 participants in 2 patient groups

patient will receive a phone call from nurse

Description:

The proposed study will be a prospective longitudinal feasibility study of 50 older adults with a recent diagnosis of stage II, III or IV ovarian cancer who will receive standard first line chemotherapy and surgery over approximately a six-month period. Half of the 50 patients receive a weekly telephone call from geriatric nurse practitioner (NP); the remaining 25 patients would receive standard oncology care alone (randomization).

Treatment:

Behavioral: geriatric assessment and telephone call from nurse

patients will not receive a phone call from nurse

Description:

The proposed study will be a prospective longitudinal feasibility study of 50 older adults with a recent diagnosis of stage II, III or IV ovarian cancer who will receive standard first line chemotherapy and surgery over approximately a six-month period. Half of the 50 patients receive a weekly telephone call from geriatric nurse practitioner (NP); the remaining 25 patients would receive standard oncology care alone (randomization).

Treatment:

Other: geriatric assessment and no call from nurse