Clinical trial · Interventional
Feasibility of a Creative Writing Intervention in an Advanced Cancer Population: A Single Arm, Consecutive Cohort Study
NCT02575898CI-TRIAL-00035861completedN/AClinicalTrials.gov clinicaltrialsProvenance
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
To assess the feasibility of a creative writing intervention in an advanced cancer population. Given it is a relatively simple intervention delivered by a non-clinician, the investigators are interested in better understanding its pattern of effect on patient psychological adjustment. The investigators aim to assess its feasibility in this study in order to inform a future larger study that will utilize a control arm.
Conditions
Conditions (2)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Malignant Neoplasm of Gastrointestinal Tract | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Primary Malignant Neoplasm of Lung | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
Interventions
Interventions (3)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Session | Other | — | UNRESOLVED |
| Second Session | Other | — | UNRESOLVED |
| Third through Sixth Sessions | Behavioral | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (1)
- type
- OTHER
- label
- One
- description
- Creative writing and questionnaires interventions: First Session, Second Session, Third through Sixth Sessions
- interventionNames
- Other: First Session
- Other: Second Session
- Behavioral: Third through Sixth Sessions
Primary outcomes (1)
- measure
- Feasibility of a creative writing intervention in an advanced cancer population
- timeFrame
- 29 months
- description
- Anyone completing the first intervention with the creative writer will be evaluable for the feasibility outcome. If the investigators see 50% of patients completing 3 months of the creative writing intervention then this would indicate the intervention should be examined in a larger pilot study.
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- All
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Participant must plan to receive follow up care at Dartmouth-Hitchcock. 2. Participant must have a lung or GI primary cancer diagnosed in the last 3 months. 3. Participant must have non-curable cancer as judged by the primary oncologist. 4. Participant must be comfortable conversing in English (reading and writing in English is not required). 5. Participant must be cognitively intact as judged by their responsible clinician. 6. Participant must have access to a working telephone and be willing and available to participate by this modality as needed. 7. Participants may be on anti-depressants and/or anxiolytics as long as the dosing has remained stable over the preceding 2 weeks. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Participant is expected to die in 6 months or less as judged by the responsible clinician. 2. Participant must not have already worked with the staff writer at Dartmouth Hitchcock prior to enrollment in this study. 3. Participant with an activated durable power of attorney for health care or cognitive impairment that interferes with ability to understand prognosis as determined by the primary oncologist. 4. Participant must not have uncontrolled physical symptoms.
References
Publications (16)
- BACKGROUNDTemel JS, Greer JA, Muzikansky A, Gallagher ER, Admane S, Jackson VA, Dahlin CM, Blinderman CD, Jacobsen J, Pirl WF, Billings JA, Lynch TJ. Early palliative care for patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer. N Engl J Med. 2010 Aug 19;363(8):733-42. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1000678. PMID 20818875
- BACKGROUNDTemel JS, Greer JA, Admane S, Gallagher ER, Jackson VA, Lynch TJ, Lennes IT, Dahlin CM, Pirl WF. Longitudinal perceptions of prognosis and goals of therapy in patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer: results of a randomized study of early palliative care. J Clin Oncol. 2011 Jun 10;29(17):2319-26. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2010.32.4459. Epub 2011 May 9. PMID 21555700
- BACKGROUNDGreer JA, Pirl WF, Jackson VA, Muzikansky A, Lennes IT, Heist RS, Gallagher ER, Temel JS. Effect of early palliative care on chemotherapy use and end-of-life care in patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2012 Feb 1;30(4):394-400. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2011.35.7996. Epub 2011 Dec 27. PMID 22203758
- BACKGROUNDBakitas MA, Tosteson TD, Li Z, Lyons KD, Hull JG, Li Z, Dionne-Odom JN, Frost J, Dragnev KH, Hegel MT, Azuero A, Ahles TA. Early Versus Delayed Initiation of Concurrent Palliative Oncology Care: Patient Outcomes in the ENABLE III Randomized Controlled Trial. J Clin Oncol. 2015 May 1;33(13):1438-45. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2014.58.6362. Epub 2015 Mar 23. PMID 25800768
- BACKGROUNDBakitas M, Lyons KD, Hegel MT, Balan S, Brokaw FC, Seville J, Hull JG, Li Z, Tosteson TD, Byock IR, Ahles TA. Effects of a palliative care intervention on clinical outcomes in patients with advanced cancer: the Project ENABLE II randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2009 Aug 19;302(7):741-9. doi: 10.1001/jama.2009.1198. PMID 19690306
- BACKGROUNDDionne-Odom JN, Azuero A, Lyons KD, Hull JG, Tosteson T, Li Z, Li Z, Frost J, Dragnev KH, Akyar I, Hegel MT, Bakitas MA. Benefits of Early Versus Delayed Palliative Care to Informal Family Caregivers of Patients With Advanced Cancer: Outcomes From the ENABLE III Randomized Controlled Trial. J Clin Oncol. 2015 May 1;33(13):1446-52. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2014.58.7824. Epub 2015 Mar 23.