Psychological Interventions for Gynecologic Cancer

Psychological Interventions for Gynecologic Cancer

Subjects that have received medical treatment for ovarian cancer can be both physically and emotionally demanding for patients. The purpose of this study is to determine whether two common pyschological interventions (Communication Skills Intervention and Supportive Counseling) may improve the well-being of ovarian cancer patients compared to usual care.

Very little is known in the psycho-oncology literature about why psychological interventions are effective or for how long these interventions exert an impact. Given many cancer patients experience recurrence and/or progression, it is important to know whether our relatively brief interventions facilitate how patients cope with this most-feared medical event. From a theoretical perspective, the study will advance our understanding of the mechanisms for change for two common treatment approaches, supportive and cognitive behavioral therapies.

Subjects will be enrolled and upon completion of a baseline survey, randomized to into one of three arms - Communication Skills Intervention, Supportive Counseling, and Usual Care. Subjects will complete surveys during the course of the interventions.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Newly diagnosed with any stage of primary ovarian cancer, primary peritoneal cancer, or primary fallopian tube cancer in the past 6 months
• Newly diagnosed with High Grade Stage 2, any grade Stage 3 or higher endometrial cancer in the past 6 months
• Newly diagnosed with Stage 2 or higher cervical cancer withing the past 6 months
• Newly diagnosed with any stage of Uterine cancer (both sarcoma and carcinosarcoma) in the past 6 months
• At the time of recruitment, the patient is on active treatment defined as either currently receiving chemotherapy or radiation or less than 6 months post-cancer surgery
• At the time of recruitment, a Karnofsky Performance Status of 80 or above or an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score of 0 or 1
• English speaking
• Lives within a two-hour commuting distance from the recruitment site
• No hearing impairment
• Has signed consent within 6 months of diagnosis date