None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
This study looks at whether support groups that teach about fatigue can help reduce fatigue and improve quality of life in cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy, compared with standard treatment. Who is it for? You can join this study if you are a patient at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, receiving radiotherapy for cure or control of cancer but are not receiving chemotherapy at the same time. Trial details Participants will be randomly divided into four groups. Three groups will attend a patient fatigue education and support (FES) group at different stages in their treatment, to learn strategies they can use to improve their levels of fatigue and thus their quality of life. These three intervention groups will be compared to a control group that receives only standard care. In standard care, the radiation oncologist and nursing staff provide brief education to the patient about the radiotherapy process, with no specific patient fatigue education and support group. Patients will be assessed on a variety of questionnaires to investigate the effects of the FES groups and will also be asked to keep a log of the strategies they used to improve their fatigue levels.
Interventions
Pre and post radiotherapy education and support groups
Support group last one hour in duration and frequency is dependent on the group the participant is allocated to. ie
Group 1- 2 groups (one before and one after treatment)
Group 2- 1 group before treatment
Group 3- 1 group after treatment
Group 4- No groups
Participants receive education about radiotherapy process, what to expect from treatment, side effects and strategies to use to minimise side effects (including activity modification, edu
Pre and post radiotherapy education and support groups Support group last one hour in duration and frequency is dependent on the group the participant is allocated to. ie Group 1- 2 groups (one before and one after treatment) Group 2- 1 group before treatment Group 3- 1 group after treatment Group 4- No groups Participants receive education about radiotherapy process, what to expect from treatment, side effects and strategies to use to minimise side effects (including activity modification, education, nutrition, coping strategies, social support, sleep strategies) Patients will be seen by the radiation oncologist for their initial appointment. The radiation oncologist provides brief education to the patient about the radiotherapy process as is standard care. Radiation Oncologists will be requested to provide a brief introduction to the education sessions. Eligible patients will be sent an information pack containing the patient information and consent form and a cover letter. Patients will be advised that they can call and decline to participate (by voice mail). If patients do not call within one week of receiving the information pack, they will receive a phone call from the principal investigator to discuss whether they would like to be involved in the project. Further details about the project will be provided as requested and patients will be asked to provide verbal consent over the phone should they wish to participate. Patients who agree to participate will also be asked to sign the consent form in the presence of a witness and return the consent form to the principal investigator in the post-paid envelope provided. Those who consent will be then randomised to a group via simple randomisation and advised of their commitments and first attendance date.
Sponsors
Amanda Purcell
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Factorial
Primary purpose
Educational / counselling / training
Masking
Blinded (masking used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 100 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
1. Patients >18 years of age receiving radiation therapy at Princess Alexandra Hospital. 2. Patients being treated for a diagnosis of cancer. 3. Patients undergoing treatment with radiation therapy for cure or control of cancer rather than palliation. 4. Karnofsky level 60-100 – The minimum physical capacity for subjects included using this criterion will therefore be that they require only occasional assistance for most personal needs at the baseline assessment. 5. Patients who are able to communicate in English. 6. Patients able to attend group programs outside of radiotherapy times.
Exclusion criteria
1. Patients having short course radiation therapy (< 20 fractions) for symptom management only. 2. Patients undergoing chemotherapy during the course of the study. 3. Patients unable to complete questionnaires due to cognitive or literacy limitations. 4. Patients who are involved in programs targeting improvements in fatigue or quality of life 5. Patients who have had previous radiotherapy treatment.
Outcome results
None listed