Meaning-Centered Counseling for Chinese Patients Who Are Being Treated for Advanced Cancer (NCT02112188)
🩺 Plain-English Summary (8th-Grade Level)
The purpose of the study is to modify a type of counseling called "Individual Meaning Centered Psychotherapy" to meet the needs of Chinese cancer patients. Many cancer patients use counseling or other resources to help cope with the emotional burden of their illnesses. Counseling often helps them cope with cancer by giving them a place to express their feelings. "Meaning-Centered" counseling aims to teach cancer patients how to maintain or even increase a sense of meaning and purpose in their lives, despite cancer.
Who can join: To join this study, participants generally need to meet the listed inclusion criteria (18 items) and avoid the listed exclusions (18 items).
Location: Memorial Sloan Kettering Basking Ridge (Limited Protocol Activities) — Basking Ridge, New Jersey
📋 "Do I Qualify?" — 1-Minute Self Screener
Instant ChecklistCheck every box below. If you can check all of them, you may meet the study's basic screening requirements (final eligibility is confirmed by the site team).
Usually NOT eligible if any of the following apply:
- Exclusion Criteria: Phases 1 and 2:
- Presence of cognitive impairment disorder (e.g., delirium or dementia) sufficient to preclude meaningful informed consent and/or data collection. The Chinese version of the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) (46) will be used as a cognitive screening tool. Patients with MMSE scores below 20 will be excluded. For English speaking patients we will use the English version of the MMSE.
- Has a household member who has already participated (or agreed to participate). Phase 3:
- Previous participation in Phases 1 or 2 of the study
- Unable/unwilling to use or no access to a telehealth platform (i.e., telephone or videoconference)
- For participants who express interest in RSMI, unable/unwilling to use Zoom videoconferencing platform
- Unable or unwilling to commit to up to 16 weeks to complete 6-session intervention and follow-up assessments
- Major psychiatric illness or cognitive impairment that in the judgment of study investigators or study staff would preclude study participation
- Patients diagnosed with primary brain tumors (per self-report or on the MSKCC EMR), as they may have difficulty completing the intervention and answering questionnaires
- Undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) (per self-report or on the MSKCC EMR)
- Currently in psychotherapeutic treatment (patients being treated with psychotropic medications will not be excluded, as long as they are not in psychotherapy; per self report) Phase 4:
- Previous participation in Phases 1, 2, or 3 of the study
🔍 Extracted verbatim from the official NIH eligibility criteria. Always confirm with the study coordinator.
📍 All Participating Trial Locations (9 Sites)
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Basking Ridge (Limited Protocol Activities) — Basking Ridge, New Jersey
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth (Limited Protocol Activities) — Middletown, New Jersey
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Bergen (Limited Protocol Activities) — Montvale, New Jersey
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Suffolk- Commack (Limited Protocol Activities) — Commack, New York
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Westchester (Limited Protocol Activities) — Harrison, New York
- City College of New York (Data Collection AND Data Analysis) — New York, New York
- MSK at Ralph Lauren (Limited Protocol Activities) — New York, New York
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center — New York, New York
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Nassau (Limited Protocol Activities) — Uniondale, New York
💰 Cost, Insurance & Patient Rights
- 100% Free Items: The investigational treatment and protocol-required procedures are supplied at zero cost by the sponsor.
- Routine Patient Care: Under federal law (ACA § 2709) and many state statutes, routine care costs are covered during participation.
- Voluntary Participation: You may withdraw at any time without affecting your standard medical care.