Palliative Care in Improving Quality of Life and Symptoms in Patients With Stage III-IV Pancreatic or Ovarian Cancer

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. Test the effects of a concurrent palliative care planning intervention (PCPI) on overall
quality of life (QOL) and symptom burden.

II. Test the effects of a concurrent PCPI on anxiety and depression. III. Test the effects
of a concurrent PCPI on overall survival. IV. Test the effects of a concurrent PCPI on
health care resource use.

OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms.

ARM I: Patients undergo a comprehensive physical, psychological, social, and spiritual
palliative care assessment. Patients also receive a workbook that covers physical and
psychological well-being and social and spiritual well-being, delivered over 2 educational
sessions.

ARM II: Patients receive standard care plus attention comprising two telephone contacts.

After completion of study, patients are followed up at 1, 3, and 6 months.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Diagnosis of pancreatic or ovarian cancer

- Confirmed stage III or IV disease

- Patients who are within one year from initial diagnosis

- Able to read or understand English-this is included because most of the
patient-reported outcome measures are not validated in linguistically diverse
populations; the intent is to adapt and test the intervention in a future study with
linguistically diverse populations

- Ability to read and/or understand the study protocol requirements, and provide
written informed consent