iCanWork Intervention for Cancer Survivorship

(iCanWork Trial)

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: McGill University

Disqualifiers: Metastatic cancer, others

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 12

270 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What data supports the effectiveness of the iCanWork Intervention treatment for cancer survivorship?

Research shows that supportive care interventions, like feedback of patient-reported outcomes to clinicians, can improve patient functioning in cancer survivors. Additionally, interventions such as mindfulness-based programs and survivorship care plans have been shown to enhance quality of life and patient satisfaction, suggesting that similar approaches in the iCanWork Intervention could be beneficial. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

How does the iCanWork Intervention treatment differ from other treatments for cancer survivorship?

The iCanWork Intervention is unique because it focuses on helping cancer survivors return to work by bridging the gap between healthcare and the workplace. It involves a hospital-based occupational therapist who tailors the program to each individual's needs, setting personalized goals and actions to support re-employment, which is not typically addressed by standard cancer treatments. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

What is the purpose of this trial?

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the iCanWork intervention in assisting cancer survivors (CS) to return to work (RTW) and its impact on their health-related quality of life (QoL), health service utilization, RTW readiness, time to RTW, and work capacity.

Eligibility Criteria

The iCanWork trial is for cancer survivors in Canada, aged 18-65, who were working at the time of diagnosis and are currently on sick leave or disability but haven't been off work for more than 2 years. Participants must understand English or French and have not yet started returning to work since their treatment.

Inclusion Criteria

has not started to return to work, since stopping due to cancer

can read and understand English or French

I was diagnosed with cancer and aimed to cure it while I was between 18 and 65 years old.

Exclusion Criteria

If the cancer survivor's physicians consider returning to work unwise, such as due to a metastatic cancer diagnosis

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Participants receive the iCanWork intervention, including 6 sessions with a vocational rehabilitation counsellor and 1-4 sessions with an occupational therapist

6-12 weeks

6-10 sessions (virtual)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for return to work status, health-related quality of life, and work capacity

24 months

Follow-up assessments at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months

Treatment Details

Interventions

• iCanWork Intervention

Trial Overview This study tests the 'iCanWork' program's ability to help cancer survivors return to work. It looks at how well it improves quality of life, reduces healthcare use, prepares participants for work re-entry, speeds up return-to-work time, and enhances job capacity.

Participant Groups

Group I: iCanWork Intervention Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

iCanWork includes 6 1-hour sessions with a VRC and 1 to 4 1-hour sessions with an OT. In the positive event that a participant has returned to work during the study, three of the six VRC sessions are reserved to support the participants in their transition to the workplace.

Group II: Control Active Control 1 Intervention

Participants randomized to the control group will receive their usual care and will be referred to the Cancer Work website for educational resources related to RTW. If they contact the team with RTW-related questions, they will be referred to their care teams.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

McGill University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

421

Recruited

1,017,000+

Findings from Research

The use of electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePRO) during follow-up consultations for 187 cancer patients did not lead to significant improvements in patient activation (PA), as measured by the Patient Activation Measurement (PAM).

While ePRO did not enhance PA, it appeared to support patient involvement (PI) by facilitating more open dialogue, encouraging patients to ask questions and share their experiences, although some patients still felt uninvolved.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Cancer follow-up supported by patient-reported outcomes in patients undergoing intended curative complex surgery for advanced cancer. Ravn, S., Thaysen, HV., Verwaal, VJ., et al.[2021]

In a study involving 356 cancer patients, the telephone caseworker (TCW) model showed a significant improvement in physical functioning at 3 months compared to usual care, suggesting potential benefits of this intervention.

Participants in the TCW model reported better communication with their healthcare team and were more likely to have their needs addressed, indicating that this model may help in managing psychosocial needs, although no overall intervention effect was observed.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Impact of two supportive care interventions on anxiety, depression, quality of life, and unmet needs in patients with nonlocalized breast and colorectal cancers. Girgis, A., Breen, S., Stacey, F., et al.[2022]

References

1. Germany pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Cancer follow-up supported by patient-reported outcomes in patients undergoing intended curative complex surgery for advanced cancer. [2021]

2. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A randomized wait-list controlled trial of feasibility and efficacy of an online mindfulness-based cancer recovery program: the eTherapy for cancer applying mindfulness trial. [2022]

3. Germany pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of CALM intervention on neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), fear of cancer recurrence and quality of life in patients with lung cancer. [2023]

4. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Impact of an Automatically Generated Cancer Survivorship Care Plan on Patient-Reported Outcomes in Routine Clinical Practice: Longitudinal Outcomes of a Pragmatic, Cluster Randomized Trial. [2015]

5. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Impact of two supportive care interventions on anxiety, depression, quality of life, and unmet needs in patients with nonlocalized breast and colorectal cancers. [2022]

6. Netherlands pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Bridging Health Care and the Workplace: Formulation of a Return-to-Work Intervention for Breast Cancer Patients Using an Intervention Mapping Approach. [2018]

7. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Employment experience of cancer survivors 2 years post-diagnosis in the Study of Cancer Survivors-I. [2021]

8. Netherlands pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Barriers to and Facilitators of Implementing Programs for Return to Work (RTW) of Cancer Survivors in Four European Countries: A Qualitative Study. [2020]

9. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Interventions for work participation of unemployed or work-disabled cancer survivors: a systematic review. [2023]

10. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Introduction to special section on: current topics in cancer survivorship and work. [2021]