New program aims to ease the emotional burden on caregivers of advanced cancer patients
NCT ID NCT07367984
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests a death education program for family caregivers of people with advanced cancer. The program includes four one-on-one sessions to help caregivers communicate about death, reduce anxiety and depression, and improve spiritual well-being. About 30 caregivers will take part to see if the program is practical and helpful.
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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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About 30 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Mar 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Aug 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- 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 years and older
- 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.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria for patients: * Age 18 years or older; * The patient with pathologically confirmed stage III or IV cancer; * The patient has initiated any systemic anti-cancer therapy (e.g.,chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, endocrine therapy) and has completed the first treatment administration/cycle and commenced the next planned administration/cycle; * The patient is assessed by the doctor as having an estimated life expectancy of ≥3 months; and * The patient is aware of their advanced cancer diagnosis. Exclusion Criteria for patients: -The patient has no primary family caregiver during the study period. Inclusion Criteria for family caregivers: * Age 18 years or older; * The caregiver is identified by the patient as the primary family caregiver (e.g., spouse, adult child, parent, or other relative); * The caregiver has been regularly involved in caregiving for the patient in the past month, and is expected to continue providing support over the next two months (e.g., daily care, accompaniment, involvement in medical communication/decision-making, and financial support); * Since taking on the primary caregiving role, the caregiver reports the frequency of talking about death/dying with the patient as "Never" or "Rarely" (from: Never / Rarely / Sometimes / Often / Very often); * The caregiver perceives a need for guidance and support in communicating with the patient about death-related matters; and * The caregiver has basic Chinese literacy (reading and writing) to understand the intervention content and complete written tasks. Exclusion Criteria for family caregivers: * Paid or professional caregivers who receive financial compensation for providing caregiving services; * The caregiver provides financial support only, without regular contact with the patient; * The caregiver has significant cognitive impairment that would affect understanding the intervention and completing the study; * The caregiver has severe psychiatric symptoms that would affect understanding the intervention and completing the study; * The caregiver has significant communication difficulties that would affect understanding the intervention and completing the study; * The caregiver is unable to complete the 4-week intervention due to physical limitations (e.g., mobility restrictions preventing attendance at intervention sessions); * The caregiver has practical constraints that would prevent completion of the 4-week intervention or follow-up assessments (e.g., expected prolonged travel during the intervention period or inability to complete assessments as scheduled); and * The caregiver is currently receiving other structured psychological intervention or psychotherapy that is likely to affect study outcomes.
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University
Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518001, China
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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