Randomized Trial of Stepped vs Early Integrated Palliative Care for Lung Cancer

Title: Randomized Trial of Stepped Palliative Care Versus Early Integrated Palliative Care in Patients With Advanced Lung Cancer¹

Principal Investigator: Jennifer Temel, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital

Description: For this randomized study, researchers are evaluating whether early integrated palliative care yields superior quality of life outcomes to stepped palliative care among patients with advanced small-cell lung cancer, non–small cell lung cancer, or mesothelioma being treated with non-curative intent.

As advanced lung cancer can drastically affect patient quality of life, a patient’s palliative care schedule can be critical for improving outcomes. Participants in this study will be randomly assigned to receive early integrated palliative care, in which patients will meet with a clinician every 4 weeks post-enrollment, or stepped palliative care, in which patients will meet will a clinician within 4 weeks of enrollment and, in the case of quality of life deterioration, meet with a clinician every 4 weeks thereafter.

The primary goal is assessing whether stepped palliative care is non-inferior to early integrated palliative care for quality of life outcomes.

For more study information, including inclusion and exclusion criteria, study locations, and contact information, visit https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03337399.

Status: This study is open and recruiting patients as of March 28, 2018.

This study is sponsored by Massachusetts General Hospital in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute.

Reference

1. Clinicaltrials.gov. Stepped palliative care versus early integrated palliative care in patients with advanced lung cancer (STEP PC). NCT03337399. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03337399. Accessed March 28, 2018.