A New Psychotherapy Intervention for Older Cancer Patients

{ "Psychotherapy for Older Cancer Patients", "This study is looking at two different types of talk therapy for older adults (age 70 and above) who have cancer and are experiencing depression or distress. You would receive either the \"Cancer and Aging: Reflections for Elders (CARE)\" intervention or the \"Social Work and Supportive Counseling (SWSC)\" intervention. Both interventions involve phone sessions. Researchers want to see which one is better at reducing depression and anxiety. To join, you need to be 70 or older, have a cancer diagnosis, and be receiving active treatment, have received it in the last 6 months, or be on active surveillance. The study plans to enroll 459 participants.", "design": "This study is comparing two different behavioral interventions. It plans to enroll 459 participants.", "commitments": "You would participate in five sessions (45-60 minutes each) over 8-12 weeks, followed by four booster sessions (20-30 minutes each) about once a month.", "compensation": "Not stated in the trial record.", "follow_up": "Your depression and anxiety levels will be measured at 9 months after starting the intervention.", }

Study design: Not specified.
What's involved: Not specified in the trial record.
Compensation: Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up: Not specified.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

A New Psychotherapy Intervention for Older Cancer Patients

Recruiting

NAAges 70+InterventionalSupportive care

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

~459 participants

Updated 2026-04-17 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What's tested:Cancer and Aging: Reflections for Elders (CARE) InterventionSocial Work and Supportive Counseling (SWSC) Intervention

At a glance

Recruiting sites

1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now

RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open

What they're measuring

Depression and Anxiety: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)

Measured over 9 months

Conditions

Cancer

Where it's being run

1 sites across 1 states

New York1

Study leadership

William Breitbart, MD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Who to contact

William Breitbart, MD

[email protected]

646-888-0020

Email the study team

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Do you actually qualify for this trial?

Add a private profile and we'll compare every criterion below against your situation — and tell you which ones are met, uncertain, or excluding.

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

As per self-report or medical record, ≥ 70 years of age

As per self-report or medical record, has a diagnosis of cancer

As per self-report or medical record, receiving active treatment (e.g., radiation, chemotherapy, hormone); OR received active treatment in the past 6 months (N/A for training case participants); OR are currently on active surveillance with follow-ups at least approximately every 6 months

Received a HADS-D score of ≥ 6 or HADS-A score of ≥ 6 or a score of ≥ 4 on the distress thermometer. (N/A for training case participants)

Received a Karnofsky Performance Rating Scale (KPRS) score of ≥ 60 (N/A for training case participants)

Received a Blessed Orientation-Memory-Concentration Scale (BOMC) score of ≤ 11 (N/A for training case participants)

Fluent in English, as per self-reported fluency of "well" or "very well"\*

Exclusion

As per self-report, currently taking antidepressant medication for \< 3 months

As per self-report, currently receiving hospice care

In the judgment of the consenting professional is unable to provide informed consent and complete study sessions and assessment

As per self-report or as documented in the medical record, current untreated (e.g., no medication, no therapy) major psychotic disorder (schizotypal personality disorder, schizophreniform disorder, schizoaffective disorder). Patients diagnosed with a major psychiatric disorder will be reviewed by the study PI to determine eligibility prior to consent.

Language verification: Prior to enrollment, patients will be asked the following two questions by research staff to verify English fluency necessary for participation in the study:

What this trial measures

Depression and Anxiety: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)9 months
This 14-item scale, which has been well tested in cancer populations including elderly patients with cancer, has depression and anxiety subscales of seven items each. It is considered particularly useful for patients with chronic disease because of the absence of somatic items that often confound the determination of psychiatric problems among the medically ill.

Trialytics