Adolescents and Young Adults (AYAs) With Advanced Cancer

This study aims to develop and test the feasibility and acceptability of a psychosocial symptom management intervention designed to meet the unique needs of Adolescents and Young Adults (AYAs) with advanced cancer. The proposed intervention will combine traditional behavioral symptom management strategies commonly use in the palliative care setting with important skills and concepts from Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Skills from these approaches may be particularly relevant to AYAs with advanced cancer who experience significant disruption in life goals from cancer and associated symptoms and may have greater difficulties understanding and finding meaning in their lives than older and younger patients. Intervention content, structure, and study procedures will be informed by qualitative data obtained during interviews/focus groups with patient (n=16) and caregiver (n=12) stakeholders as well as review by patient user testers (n=3). It is anticipated that the intervention will include four weekly sessions spaced over 6-8 weeks and be delivered using videoconferencing. Next, AYAs with advanced cancer (N=40) will be randomized to the intervention or education control arms using an allocation ratio of 1.5: 1. The study team will examine the feasibility of study recruitment and retention, acceptability, and changes in variables of interest (i.e., physical and psychological symptoms, symptom interference, self-efficacy for symptom management, experiential avoidance, values) over time for the intervention and control arms. Participants will also provide feedback on study materials, intervention format, and the appropriateness of the intervention to the population and advanced stage of disease.