New therapy aims to curb opioid misuse in cancer patients
NCT ID NCT05643027
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested a 6-session therapy called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for cancer patients at risk of opioid misuse. 40 adults with cancer and a high score on an opioid risk tool participated. The goal was to see if the therapy was feasible and acceptable, not yet to prove it works.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this therapy could help cancer patients manage psychological symptoms and reduce the risk of opioid misuse.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage pilot study with only 40 participants. It focused on feasibility, not effectiveness, so results may not apply broadly.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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40 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Mar 2023
- Finished
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May 2026
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 99 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * at least 18 years old * have an estimated survival time of at least 6 months (as estimated by palliative care provider) * score at least 4 on the Opioid Risk Tool (ORT) * have been diagnosed with any cancer, including hematologic malignancies * performance status criterion of 0, 1, or 2 \[ with 0 indicating that the patient is asymptomatic, 1 that the patient is symptomatic but fully ambulatory, and 2 that the patient is symptomatic and in bed \<50% of the day\] Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with a score at least 3 to ensure that all enrolled patients are able to participate in the intervention, complete assessments, ensure that no patients who are too sick to participate are enrolled; this will enhance the rigor of the study) * currently be on opioid therapy * not meet criteria for current substance use disorder * assessed by the Diagnostic \& Statistical Manual of mental disorders; DSM-5 or be receiving substance use disorder treatment; and speak and comprehend English sufficiently to be able to participate in psychotherapy.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States
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