Multidisciplinary Health Intervention for Blood Cancer

Age: 65+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: City of Hope Medical Center

Disqualifiers: Prior transplant, Syngeneic donors, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

40 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests a new method to prepare older adults with blood cancers for a stem cell transplant. The approach, called a Multidisciplinary Intervention, involves a team of healthcare professionals, including doctors, therapists, and dieticians, working together to enhance patients' fitness and resilience. The goal is to help patients better manage the challenges of the transplant. Individuals aged 65 or older who can speak English, Spanish, or Mandarin and are planning a stem cell transplant might be suitable for this trial. As an unphased trial, this study provides a unique opportunity to contribute to innovative care strategies for stem cell transplant preparation.

Do I need to stop my current medications for the trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It's best to discuss this with the trial team or your doctor.

What prior data suggests that this multidisciplinary intervention is safe for older adults with blood cancers?

Research has shown that working with a team of healthcare professionals, such as doctors, therapists, and dieticians, is generally well-tolerated, particularly for older adults with blood cancers. This team approach improves patients' quality of life by addressing various health needs simultaneously.

Although specific data on side effects from this team-based care is lacking, similar methods in other areas have proven safe. These methods focus on enhancing overall well-being without causing harm. The goal is to better prepare patients for stem cell transplants by improving their health and recovery ability. This team approach is already in use in cancer care, indicating it is a safe and supportive treatment option. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about this multidisciplinary health intervention for blood cancer because it offers a comprehensive approach that integrates multiple aspects of patient care. Unlike traditional treatments that may focus solely on medical interventions like chemotherapy or radiation, this program involves a team of specialists, including a physician, geriatrician, therapist, dietician, and social worker. This holistic strategy aims to support patients both physically and emotionally, potentially improving overall outcomes and quality of life. By addressing diverse needs before and after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), the intervention hopes to reduce complications and enhance recovery, making it a promising complement to existing treatments.

What evidence suggests that this multidisciplinary intervention is effective for improving fitness and recovery in older adults with blood cancer?

Research has shown that blood cancer patients benefit from seeing a variety of healthcare professionals, leading to better health outcomes. In this trial, participants will receive a multidisciplinary intervention, including access to a team of experts such as doctors, therapists, dieticians, and social workers. This team prepares patients for treatments like stem cell transplants. Such teamwork can ease the challenges of the transplant process. Evidence suggests that patients receiving care from this type of team often experience better overall health and recovery. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Andrew S Artz

Principal Investigator

City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for older adults (65+) with blood cancers who are candidates for stem cell transplantation. Participants must be able to read English, Spanish, or Mandarin and consent to the study's requirements. Those with prior allogeneic transplants or conditions that make study procedures unsafe are excluded.

Inclusion Criteria

I can read English, Spanish, or Mandarin, or another language if the study allows it.

I can have any type of preparation treatment and any donor for my transplant.

Documented informed consent of the participant

Exclusion Criteria

Syngeneic donors for HCT

I have had a stem cell transplant from a donor.

Any other condition that would, in the Investigator's judgment, contraindicate the patient's participation in the clinical study due to safety concerns with clinical study procedures

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Pre-Transplant MDT Intervention

Participants receive a multidisciplinary team intervention including access to a HCT physician, geriatrician, physical or occupational therapist, dietician, and social worker for three months before HCT.

12 weeks

Post-Transplant MDT Intervention

Participants continue to receive multidisciplinary team intervention up to 100 days after HCT.

14 weeks

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment, including functional independent survival and other health outcomes.

Up to 1 year

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Multidisciplinary Intervention

Trial Overview The trial is testing a multidisciplinary approach involving various healthcare professionals aimed at improving fitness and recovery post-transplant in older adults. It includes health promotion activities, quality-of-life assessments, and questionnaires.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Supportive care (MDT-intervention) Experimental Treatment 3 Interventions

Patients participate in the MDT-intervention including access to a HCT physician, a geriatrician, physical or occupational therapist, dietician, and a social worker for three months before HCT and up to 100 days after HCT.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

City of Hope Medical Center

Lead Sponsor

Trials

614

Recruited

1,924,000+

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Collaborator

Trials

14,080

Recruited

41,180,000+

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10560417/

Multidisciplinary team meetings in Hematology: a national ... Research has reported contradictory results concerning the impact of MDTMs on the quality of decision-making and patient outcomes [16–19] and ...

2. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3262556/

Cancer Multidisciplinary Team Meetings: Evidence ... We performed a detailed review of published evidence on the effectiveness of cancer MDT meetings. Table 1 summarises the available evidence on the effectiveness ...

3. link.springer.com link.springer.com/rwe/10.1007/978-3-031-76882-8_10

Implementation of Multidisciplinary Teams for the ... MDTs in LMIC Settings. Survival outcomes for children and adolescents with cancer have exceeded 80% in HIC through multimodality optimized risk ...

4. cancernetwork.com cancernetwork.com/view/multidisciplinary-teams-are-needed-for-multidimensional-support-in-blood-cancers

Multidisciplinary Teams Are Needed for Multidimensional ... Multidisciplinary Teams Are Needed for Multidimensional Support in Blood Cancers ... A qualitative, interview-based analysis identified 7 distinct ...

5. bmcprimcare.biomedcentral.com bmcprimcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12875-025-02814-0

Effects of multidisciplinary teamwork in non-hospital settings ... This review showed that a multidisciplinary team is effective in improving most patient-reported outcomes. Compared with clinical outcomes, ...

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7100151/

The Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) Approach and Quality of Care A multidisciplinary team (MDT) in oncology is defined as the cooperation between different specialized professionals involved in cancer care ...

7. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04914338

A Multidisciplinary Approach to Improve the Health of Older ... This clinical trial studies the usefulness and process of a multidisciplinary intervention, where patients see multiple healthcare professionals, aimed at ...

8. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11898443/

The Effect of Exercise-Based Interventions on Health ... The effect of exercise-based interventions on health-related quality of life of patients with hematological malignancies: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

9. ascopubs.org ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/EDBK_432220

Tailoring Therapy in Older Adults With Hematologic ... Here, we review the data supporting GA for the care of older adults with blood cancers, from the community to the academic center.

10. healio.com healio.com/news/hematology-oncology/20180802/multidisciplinary-approach-crucial-to-support-adolescents-young-adults-with-hematologic-malignancies

Multidisciplinary approach crucial to support adolescents, ... A study by Muffly and colleagues — published in 2016 in Cancer — showed that of 61 AYAs with a hematologic malignancy, 23% met the criteria for ...