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Understanding Physician Behavior and Cancer Distress

This study is looking at how the actions of doctors and other parts of your care experience during radiation treatment affect how much distress you feel as a cancer patient. It's an observational study, meaning researchers will be watching and collecting information without giving any new treatments. They want to understand which physician behaviors might increase your distress and which might help lessen it, as well as how other factors in your care contribute to distress. You can join if you are an adult (18 or older) with a cancer diagnosis, are currently receiving radiation therapy or finished it within the last month at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, can read and write English, and have email and Mayo Clinic patient portal access. The study aims to enroll 5000 participants. The current recruitment status is unclear.

Study design
This is an observational study aiming to enroll 5000 participants. It is designed to explore different factors without providing any interventions.
What's involved
Not specified in the trial record.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
The primary goals are measured at the time of enrollment (Baseline).

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

NCT07325006

Impact of Physician Behavior on Cancer Distress

Recruiting
Not specifiedAges 18+Observational
Mayo Clinic
~5,000 participants
Updated 2026-07-07 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Non-Interventional Study

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Explore what physician behaviors contribute to patients' cancer distress
Measured over Baseline (at enrollment)
+5 more outcomes measured

Conditions

Hematopoietic and Lymphatic System Neoplasm
Malignant Solid Neoplasm

Explore related trials

Hematologic NeoplasmSolid Neoplasm

NCT07325006

Where you'd take part

This study runs at 1 site. They're the same protocol — you choose where, and that choice sets who your contact draft is addressed to.

  • Mayo Clinic in Rochester

    Rochester, Minnesotastudy coordinator listed

    Recruiting

Sites open and close at different times, so the status above is per site — it can differ from the study's overall status.

Study leadership

  • May Elbanna, MB, BCh, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Mayo Clinic

Who to contact

Clinical Trials Referral Office
[email protected]
855-776-0015
Email the study team

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Adult (age 18+ years old)
Must have a diagnosis of neoplasm
Must be actively undergoing radiation therapy (RT) or have completed RT within the last month at Mayo Clinic in Rochester
Able to read and write in English
Must have email and Mayo Clinic patient portal access

Exclusion

Patients who have not yet started RT
Patients who have been seen in consultation but not recommended for radiation

What this trial measures

  • Explore what physician behaviors contribute to patients' cancer distressBaseline (at enrollment)

    Participants will indicate levels of distress on an 11-point Likert scale (10=extreme distress; 0=no distress). Physician behaviors that contribute to patients' cancer distress (as reported by patients) will be assessed using a free-text question. Topics and contextual factors will be identified by searching for themes with a thematic analysis. Descriptive statistics will be utilized to broadly analyze results. Data will initially be analyzed in its entirety. Subgroup analyses will then be done for patients who have vs have not experienced clinically significant distress (past or current score of 4+ on the distress thermometer). Additional subgroup analyses may be conducted depending on response.

  • Explore what physician behaviors lessen patients' cancer distressBaseline (at enrollment)

    Participants will indicate levels of distress on an 11-point Likert scale (10=extreme distress; 0=no distress). Physician behaviors that lessen patients' cancer distress (as reported by patients) will be assessed using a free-text question. Topics and contextual factors will be identified by searching for themes with a thematic analysis. Descriptive statistics will be utilized to broadly analyze results. Data will initially be analyzed in its entirety. Subgroup analyses will then be done for patients who have vs have not experienced clinically significant distress (past or current score of 4+ on the distress thermometer). Additional subgroup analyses may be conducted depending on response.

  • Explore how non-physician factors in the patient care experience contribute to patients' cancer distressBaseline (at enrollment)

    Participants will indicate levels of distress on an 11-point Likert scale (10=extreme distress; 0=no distress). Other factors that contribute to patients' cancer distress (as reported by patients) will be assessed using a free-text question. Topics and contextual factors will be identified by searching for themes with a thematic analysis. Descriptive statistics will be utilized to broadly analyze results. Data will initially be analyzed in its entirety. Subgroup analyses will then be done for patients who have vs have not experienced clinically significant distress (past or current score of 4+ on the distress thermometer). Additional subgroup analyses may be conducted depending on response.

  • Explore how non-physician factors in the patient care experience lessen patients' cancer distressBaseline (at enrollment)

    Participants will indicate levels of distress on an 11-point Likert scale (10=extreme distress; 0=no distress). Other factors that lessen patients' cancer distress (as reported by patients) will be assessed using a free-text question. Topics and contextual factors will be identified by searching for themes with a thematic analysis. Descriptive statistics will be utilized to broadly analyze results. Data will initially be analyzed in its entirety. Subgroup analyses will then be done for patients who have vs have not experienced clinically significant distress (past or current score of 4+ on the distress thermometer). Additional subgroup analyses may be conducted depending on response.

  • Patient ratings of preference for physician-initiated conversationsBaseline (at enrollment)

    Patient ratings of preference for physician-initiated conversations on five sensitive topics: mental health, sexual health, financial health, cancer survival and mortality/prognosis, and personal relationship dynamics will be assessed using a study-specific survey. Responses are recorded on a Likert scale of 0-10 where 0=not at all and 10=very much so. Descriptive statistics will be utilized to analyze results.

  • Patient ratings of contributors to distressBaseline (at enrollment)

    Patient ratings of how much sexual health, finances, cancer survival and prognosis, and changes in personal relationship dynamics contribute to their distress will be assessed using a study-specific survey. Each item will be rated on a Likert scale of 0-10 where 0=not at all and 10=very much so. Descriptive statistics will be utilized to analyze results.