Health Benefits of Writing Therapy Among Asian American Cancer Survivors

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Cancer

Treatments: Behavioral: Questionnaires; Behavioral: Esays

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06367959

NCI-2024-02939 (Other Identifier)

2021-0324

Details and patient eligibility

About

To learn more about participant experience as a Asian American immigrant breast cancer survivor and how writing about participant experiences may affect participant's health.

Full description

Primary Objective:

To determine the effects of writing therapy on QOL and perceived stress at the 6- and 12-month follow-ups.

Secondary Objective:

To discover the effects of writing therapy on stress biomarkers and perceived stress at the 3-month follow-up.

To explore the psychosocial and cultural mechanisms responsible for the benefits of writing therapy by using mixed methods.

Enrollment: 192 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Adult (aged 18 and older) diagnosed with stage 0-III cancer (or acute leukemia in remission/ chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase).
• Self-identified as Asian, Asian Americans, any Asian or Asian American subgroup (Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian, Korean, etc.) ethnic/cultural background
• Completed primary treatment, including surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation therapy, immunotherapy, or targeted therapy within the preceding 5 years.
• Comfortable reading in English or in Chinese.

Exclusion criteria

- Inability to provide informed consent.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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192 participants in 2 patient groups

Control condition

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will be asked to write about facts regarding their cancer diagnosis and treatment in writing sessions.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Esays

Behavioral: Questionnaires

Intervention Condition

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will be asked to write about different topics regarding their cancer experience. During session 1, participants will be asked to write about the stress of having cancer and their strategies for coping with stressors associated with their cancer (i.e., stress and coping). During session 2, participants will be asked to write about their deepest feelings regarding their cancer experience (i.e., emotional disclosure). During session 3 and the booster session (at 9-month follow-up), participants will be asked to write about positive thoughts and feelings regarding their experience with cancer.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Esays

Behavioral: Questionnaires