Clinical Trials Logo

Clinical Trial Summary

Patients are routinely asked to sign an "informed consent" document prior to starting chemotherapy, indicating they understand the risks and benefits of treatment. Although this could be a strategic moment to equip patients with information they need to make truly informed medical decisions, many patients and caregivers note that these conversations are less useful than they could be. The informed consent process and its associated documents suffer several limitations: 1) risks are emphasized over benefits; 2) educational materials focus on individual drugs instead of regimens; 3) information is presented in written instead of alternative written/audiovisual format; and 4) the patient perspective is lacking. The overarching objective of this project is to develop a library of communication tools for the most common chemotherapy regimens used to treat advanced gastrointestinal cancers. Tools will include video clips and written documents that can be readily distributed, modified, and customized. This toolkit will be crafted in collaboration with oncologists and patients living with gastrointestinal cancer and improves upon existing resources in several ways: 1) balanced discussion of benefits as well as risks, 2) focus on regimens rather than drugs, 3) use of both written and video format, and 4) inclusion of the patient perspective (e.g. video clips of patients describing their experience). A panel of oncologist and patient stakeholders will evaluate the acceptability of the tools. The investigators will then conduct a randomized clinical trial to demonstrate if the informed consent toolkit improves the quality of informed consent for palliative chemotherapy. If effective, the tools will be amenable to broad dissemination via patient accessible cancer education websites and oncology clinics.


Clinical Trial Description

Research indicates that many patients with advanced cancer receive palliative chemotherapy without sufficient understanding of its likely risks and benefits. In surveys, many patients receive palliative chemotherapy without expressing an understanding that cure is unlikely. The root of this problem is undoubtedly complex, but may relate to gaps in communication and patient education about the risks and benefits of treatment. Patients are routinely asked to sign an "informed consent" document prior to starting chemotherapy, indicating they understand the risks and benefits of treatment. Although this could be a strategic moment to equip patients with information they need to make truly informed medical decisions, many patients and caregivers note that these conversations are less useful than they could be. The informed consent process and its associated documents suffer several limitations: 1) risks are emphasized over benefits; 2) educational materials focus on individual drugs instead of regimens; 3) information is presented in written instead of alternative written/audiovisual format; and 4) the patient perspective is lacking. The overarching objective of this trial is to test a suite of patient-centered videos and booklets to support informed consent for common chemotherapy regimens used to treat advanced gastrointestinal cancers. In this study, patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, locally advanced and metastatic pancreatic cancer considering treatment with first or second-line palliative chemotherapy were randomized to the usual process of chemotherapy informed consent, or usual care supplemented by access to the appropriate investigational chemotherapy informed consent video and booklet. Patients were surveyed at baseline, 2-weeks post-treatment initiation, and 3 months regarding their understanding of chemotherapy risks and benefits, decisional conflict, and other metrics of informed decision-making. ;


Study Design


Related Conditions & MeSH terms


NCT number NCT02282722
Study type Interventional
Source Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Contact
Status Completed
Phase N/A
Start date June 10, 2015
Completion date September 27, 2017

See also
  Status Clinical Trial Phase
Completed NCT01228734 - A Trial to Compare Oxaliplatin, Folinic Acid (FA) and 5-Fluorouracil (5FU) Combination Chemotherapy (FOLFOX-4) With or Without Cetuximab in the 1st Line Treatment of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer (mCRC) in Chinese Rat Sarcoma Viral Oncogene Homolog (RAS) Wild-type Patients Phase 3
Completed NCT05178745 - A Prospective Observational Cohort Study Evaluating Resection Rate in Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Treated With Aflibercept in Combination With FOLFIRI - Observatoire résection
Completed NCT01591421 - P13Kinase Inhibitor BKM120 in Combination With Panitumumab in Metastatic/Advanced RAS-Wild Type Colorectal Cancer. Phase 1/Phase 2
Withdrawn NCT05412706 - Niraparib Maintenance Treatment in mCRC With a Partial o Complete Response After Oxaliplatin-based Induction Therapy Phase 2
Withdrawn NCT04430985 - FOLFOX + Immunotherapy With Intrahepatic Oxaliplatin for Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Phase 2
Withdrawn NCT03182894 - Epacadostat in Combination With Pembrolizumab and Azacitidine in Subjects With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Phase 1/Phase 2
Recruiting NCT05725200 - Study to Investigate Outcome of Individualized Treatment in Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Phase 2
Terminated NCT03176264 - PDR001 in Combination With Bevacizumab and mFOLFOX6 as First Line Therapy in Patients With Metastatic MSS Colorectal Cancer Phase 1
Completed NCT04866290 - HepaSphereâ„¢ Microspheres Prospective Registry
Not yet recruiting NCT06425133 - Regorafenib in Combination With Multimodal Metronomic Chemotherapy for Chemo-resistant Metastatic Colorectal Cancers Phase 2
Not yet recruiting NCT05531045 - 18FFDG PET/CT for Early Evaluation of Chemotherapy Efficacy in Metastatic Colic Adenocarcinoma
Withdrawn NCT03982173 - Basket Trial for Combination Therapy With Durvalumab (Anti-PDL1) (MEDI4736) and Tremelimumab (Anti-CTLA4) in Patients With Metastatic Solid Tumors Phase 2
Completed NCT02906059 - Study of Irinotecan and AZD1775, a Selective Wee 1 Inhibitor, in RAS or BRAF Mutated, Second-line Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Phase 1
Active, not recruiting NCT02575378 - Maintenance Treatment With Capecitabine Metronomic Chemotherapy and Chinese Traditional Medicine in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Phase 4
Withdrawn NCT02535988 - Abscopal Effect for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Phase 2
Recruiting NCT02848807 - Chemotherapy-related Toxicity, Nutritional Status and Quality of Life N/A
Active, not recruiting NCT02077868 - Evaluation of MGN1703 Maintenance Treatment in Patients With mCRC With Tumor Reduction During Induction Treatment Phase 3
Completed NCT02414009 - Study to Compare CAPTEM vs FOLFIRI as Second Line Treatment in Advanced, Colorectal Cancer Patients Phase 2
Active, not recruiting NCT01949194 - Study to Determine the Efficacy of Regorafenib in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients and to Discover Biomarkers Phase 2
Withdrawn NCT01915472 - A Phase II Study of IMMU 130 in Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Phase 2