Cancer Care Companion for Pediatric Cancer
What You Need to Know Before You Apply
What is the purpose of this trial?
This trial tests a tool called the Cancer Care Companion, designed to help parents of children with cancer communicate more easily with their healthcare team. The goal is to determine if this tool is useful, appropriate, and practical for families dealing with a recent cancer diagnosis. Parents with a child diagnosed with cancer within the last four weeks and receiving treatment at St. Louis Children's Hospital can participate if they have internet access and can use the hospital's online portal. The trial aims to make managing a child's cancer care more manageable for parents. As an unphased trial, it offers parents the opportunity to contribute to research that could enhance communication and support for families facing similar challenges.
What prior data suggests that the Cancer Care Companion is safe for use in pediatric cancer care?
Research shows that the Cancer Care Companion, an electronic tool, helps parents of children with cancer communicate more effectively. As a communication tool rather than a medicine or physical treatment, its primary concern is usability and helpfulness, not traditional safety.
The tool seeks to enhance information sharing between parents and healthcare providers. Since it doesn't alter the body, there are no reports of physical side effects. The emphasis is on user experience—whether it is useful and easy to navigate. Research suggests it could aid families in managing communication during challenging times.12345Why are researchers excited about this trial?
The Cancer Care Companion is unique because it aims to enhance the overall treatment journey for children with cancer through comprehensive support rather than focusing on the cancer itself. Unlike traditional cancer treatments like chemotherapy or radiation, which directly target cancer cells, the Cancer Care Companion provides emotional, educational, and logistical support to patients and their families. Researchers are excited about this program because it has the potential to improve quality of life and reduce stress for both patients and caregivers, offering a holistic approach to cancer care that current medical treatments do not address.
What evidence suggests that the Cancer Care Companion is effective for pediatric cancer care?
Research has shown that the Cancer Care Companion is an electronic tool designed to help parents communicate better when their child has cancer. Although direct proof of its impact on cancer treatment is not yet available, the tool aims to simplify managing and coordinating care, which is crucial for families dealing with cancer treatment. This trial will evaluate the effectiveness of the Cancer Care Companion program for all participants, as it lacks a control or comparison group. The tool could also benefit other serious childhood illnesses by organizing information and support. With more than 85% of children with cancer surviving at least five years, tools like this might significantly enhance the care experience. While specific data on its impact is still being gathered, the goal is to make care easier to understand and manage for families.12678
Who Is on the Research Team?
Bryan A Sisk, MD, MSCI
Principal Investigator
Washington University School of Medicine
Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?
This trial is for English-speaking parents or legal guardians of children recently diagnosed with cancer, who are receiving treatment at St. Louis Children's Hospital. Participants must have internet access and agree to use the Epic MyChart proxy portal.Inclusion Criteria
Timeline for a Trial Participant
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
Intervention
Participants use the Cancer Care Companion tool for 3 months
Post-intervention Assessment
Participants complete a semi-structured interview and survey to assess the tool's acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for perceptions of tool usability and other secondary outcomes
What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?
Interventions
- Cancer Care Companion
Trial Overview
The study is testing the Cancer Care Companion tool integrated into an electronic health record system to see if it's acceptable, appropriate, and feasible for communication about pediatric cancer care.
How Is the Trial Designed?
1
Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
All participants receive the Cancer Care Companion program. There is no control or comparison group.
Find a Clinic Near You
Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
Washington University School of Medicine
Lead Sponsor
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Collaborator
Citations
Study Details | NCT07278778 | Cancer Care Companion
This study engages parents of children with cancer to use an electronic health record (EHR)-based communication tool, called the Cancer Care ...
Cancer Care Companion
Findings from this study could serve as a model communication tool for long-term cancer survivors or other serious pediatric illnesses. These findings will also ...
3.
cancerprogressreport.aacr.org
cancerprogressreport.aacr.org/pediatric/pcpr25-contents/pcpr25-progress-in-pediatric-cancer-treatment/Progress in Pediatric Cancer Treatment
Advances in the treatment of pediatric cancers are reflected in the greater than 85 percent 5-year relative survival rates for all cancers combined among ...
Translating the science of care and cure for children with ...
The past 50 years have seen great progress for children with cancer, and yet, this progress has been largely unreached for most children.
THE CHILDHOOD CANCER CARE PLAN:
With increasing rates of survivorship (over 85% of children with a cancer diagnosis will survive), a multidisciplinary network of care providers support ...
Childhood Cancer
85% of children with cancer now survive 5 years or more. Overall, this is a huge improvement since the mid-1970s, when the 5-year survival rate was only about ...
Late Effects of Treatment for Childhood Cancer (PDQ®) - NCI
High-quality data is needed to establish the occurrence of and risk profiles for late cancer treatment–related toxicity.
8.
pcrf-kids.org
pcrf-kids.org/2024/06/17/new-research-links-some-pediatric-cancers-to-household-products-air-pollution/New Research Links Some Pediatric Cancers to ...
The first study, published in December of 2023, links childhood leukemia, the most common of childhood cancers, with prenatal exposure to a ...
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