Internet-based System for Cancer Patients to Self-report Toxicity

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Breast Cancer; Bladder Cancer; Vaginal Cancer; Lung Cancer; Ovarian Cancer; Prostate Cancer; Cervical Cancer

Treatments: Behavioral: Questioners; Behavioral: STAR website

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT00578006

04-020

Details and patient eligibility

About

Cancer patients may develop side effects during treatment, such as nausea, pain, fatigue, diarrhea, constipation, or shortness of breath. These symptoms may be due to the cancer itself, or due to treatments like chemotherapy drugs or radiation therapy. Doctors and nurses often ask patients about their symptoms, because an important part of cancer treatment is to make patients feel as well as possible. If patients do not feel well, the investigators may need to change the way the investigators are treating you or prescribe therapies that will decrease your symptoms. The best way to find out how you are feeling is to ask you directly.

However, during your time between appointments the investigators may not be able to ask you how you are feeling on a regular basis. In addition, even at an appointment, there may be symptoms that the investigators do not have a chance to discuss.

The investigators are interested in developing new ways to ask patients about how they are feeling, using the Internet. A special new website called STAR ("Symptom Tracking and Reporting for Patients") has been developed to help patients record this information, so that their doctors and nurses can review it during clinic appointments. This study is designed to help us see if STAR is a helpful way for us to keep track of information about patients' symptoms and quality of life.

Full description

This pilot study will assess patient use of STAR (Symptom Tracking and Reporting for Patients), an online system designed for cancer patients to self-record toxicity-related symptoms based on NCI Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v3.0, performance status by ECOG criteria, global quality of life by the EuroQOL 5-D assessment tool, emergency room visits, and survival. Secondary outcomes will include patient assessment of the usefulness of STAR, clinician perceptions of the potential value of STAR in routine clinical practice, and an evaluation of whether STAR improves the patient experience of care as assessed by satisfaction measures.

Enrollment: 1,007 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Age >18 years
• Diagnosis of gynecologic (ovarian; cervical; uterine; primary peritoneal), lung (non-small cell; small cell), gastrointestinal (colorectal, rectal, gastric, esophageal, GI neuroendocrine, small intestine malignancy, pancreatic, hepatocellular), breast, bladder cancer or prostate malignancy
• Receiving primary medical oncology care at MSKCC medical oncology outpatient clinics
• Receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy not on a clinical trial (or a new hormonal therapy in the case of prostate cancer patients only), with treatment expected to continue for at least four weeks from the time of enrollment
• Signed informed consent and Research Authorization

Exclusion criteria

• ECOG performance status greater than 2
• Unable to read and comprehend English language text

Trial design

1,007 participants in 2 patient groups

A

Experimental group

Description:

If you are in group A, the investigators will ask you to fill out a brief paper questionnaire periodically to tell us how you are feeling, and how satisfied you are with your care.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Questioners

B

Experimental group

Description:

If you are in group B, the investigators will provide you with access to the STAR website using a computer in the waiting area, into which you can report your symptoms every time you come to Sloan-Kettering for an appointment or chemotherapy. The investigators may also provide you with a website address so that you can access STAR from home (or any other location) to report your symptoms at any time.

Treatment:

Behavioral: STAR website