Context: New models of care that are effective and feasible for widespread implementation need to be developed for the delivery of early palliative care to patients with advanced cancer.
Objectives: The objectives were to determine the feasibility and acceptability of the Enhancing Quality of Life in Patients (EQUIP) intervention, data completion rate of patient-reported outcome measures in the context of the EQUIP trial, and the estimated effect of the EQUIP intervention on quality of life and mood.
Methods: In this pilot randomized phase II trial, eligible patients had newly diagnosed advanced lung cancer and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0, 1, or 2. Randomization was to the control group that received standard oncology care or to the intervention group where patients individually received the EQUIP intervention, comprising 4 face-to-face educational sessions with a nurse.
Results: A total of 69 patients were recruited. In the intervention group, 30 (85.7%) of 35 patients completed all 4 EQUIP sessions. All patients were satisfied with the topics shared and felt they were useful. However, there was no significant difference between intervention and control groups in terms of quality of life and mood at 12 weeks after baseline.
Conclusion: This pilot study showed that nurse-directed face-to-face educational sessions were feasible and acceptable to patients with advanced lung cancer. However, there was no indication of benefit of the EQUIP intervention on quality of life and mood. This could be due in part to a low prevalence of targeted symptoms.
Keywords: lung neoplasms; medical oncology; palliative care.