Trial Information

Palliative Care for Quality of Life and Symptom Concerns in Late Stage Lung Cancer

OBJECTIVES:

- To compare the effects of palliative care intervention (PCI) vs standard care on
overall quality of life and psychological distress in patients with unresectable stage
IIIB or IV non-small cell lung cancer.

- To compare symptom control in these patients.

- To compare geriatric assessment outcomes, as measured by OARS Instrumental Activities
of Daily Living, MOS Activities of Daily Living, MOS Social Activities Limitation
Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale scores, and Karnofsky performance scale,
in these patients.

- To compare the effects of the PCI vs standard care on resource use.

- To identify subgroups of patients who benefit most from the PCI in relation to
sociodemographic characteristics, treatment factors, and geriatric assessment
predictors at week 12.

OUTLINE: Patients are assigned to 1 of 2 groups.

Group I (usual care): Patients receive standard care.

Group II (palliative care intervention): Patients receive an individualized
interdisciplinary palliative care intervention comprising sessions, focused on physical,
psychological, social, and spiritual well-being, once weekly in weeks 3-6. Patients then
receive 4 follow-up phone calls in weeks 9, 13, 17, and 21.