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NCT Number: NCT04890834

Dyadic Yoga Intervention for the Improvement of Healthcare Utilization and Quality of Life in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer Undergoing Chemoradiation and Their Caregivers

This study evaluates if partner-based (dyadic) yoga programs may improve the quality of life of patients with head and neck cancer undergoing chemoradiation and their caregivers, and if it is a cost-effective option. Yoga programs may decrease how often patients come to the hospital during and after treatment with chemoradiation, and improve the quality of life for both patients and caregivers.

Active, Not Recruiting

This study is active but is not currently recruiting participants.

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Key information

Conditions

Head and Neck Carcinoma

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

M D Anderson Cancer Center

Houston, Texas, 77030, United States

About this study

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. Examine the efficacy of the dyadic yoga (DY) intervention regarding reduced patient emergency department (ED) visits and feeding tube (FT) insertions and improved patient and caregiver quality of life (QOL) as compared to the usual care (UC) group.

II. Estimate intervention costs, direct medical costs, indirect costs (i.e., productivity loss), and evaluate the overall cost-effectiveness of the DY intervention for patients and caregivers.

III. Demonstrate that, compared to the UC group, the DY program improves patient and caregiver symptoms burden, objective physical function, and illness communication and reduces patient use of opioids during chemoradiotherapy (CRT), which will in turn mediate intervention outcomes at the follow-up assessments.

IV. Understand the patient and caregiver experience of head and neck cancer (HNC), healthcare utilization and symptom management and emerging themes as possible mediators as they relate to or suggest modifications of our proposed model using qualitative methods.

OUTLINE: Participants are randomized to 1 of 2 arms.

ARM I: Patients and caregivers receive standard care including education pertaining to symptom management, prophylactic dental hygiene and possible extraction, speech pathology for baseline swallowing assessment and prophylactic treatment, and dietary services for regular nutrition consults during CRT. Psychiatry, social work, interventional radiology and supportive care services are consulted as needed.

ARM II: Patients and caregivers receive standard care as in arm I. Patients and caregivers also participate in yoga sessions 3 times per week over 60 minutes each for a total of 15 sessions.

After completion of study, participants are followed up every 2 weeks for 3 months and then monthly for up to 6 months.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • PATIENTS: Diagnosed with a primary HNC and going to receive at least 5 weeks (25 fractions) of CRT
  • PATIENTS: Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of =< 2
  • PATIENTS: Having a family caregiver (e.g., spouse/partner, sibling, adult child) willing to participate
  • PATIENTS AND CAREGIVERS: Must be at least 18 years old
  • PATIENTS AND CAREGIVERS: Able to read and speak English
  • PATIENTS AND CAREGIVERS: Able to provide informed consent

Exclusion criteria

  • PATIENTS AND CAREGIVERS: Who have regularly (self-defined) participated in a yoga program in the year prior to diagnosis

Treatment and study plan

Best Practice

Other

Receive standard care

Other names: standard of care, standard therapy

Exercise intervention

Other

Participate in yoga sessions

Questionnaire Administration

Other

Ancillary studies

Primary outcomes

  1. Patient healthcare utilization (Standard of care)

    Time frame: Up to 6 months with 3 months follow-up

    Will examine group differences in patient emergency department visit (yes/no) during the observation period of during and up to 3 months post chemoradiotherapy (CRT) as the primary outcome. Will use logistic regression with the randomization factors as covariates, as these factors may be associated with the study outcomes, and controlling for them is likely to increase the power to detect the between-group differences.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Caregiver quality of life questionnaire (RAND 36-Item Health Survey)

    Time frame: Up to 6 months with 3 months follow-up

    Will examine group differences over the 6-month follow-up period specifying the T4 as the primary endpoint using a dyadic model (assuming additional dependence in outcomes between patient and caregiver outcomes). This analysis will be imbedded in a linear mixed-effects (alternatively known as the multilevel) model analysis, with repeated measures over time (i.e., at end of CRT, 1-, 3- and 6-month follow-ups). In the mixed models, group will be entered as a primary variable of interest and baseline level of the outcome will be treated as a covariate.

    Participants Energy/Fatigue level-(0-lowest energy level/ 100-highest energy no fatigue)

  2. Patient quality of life questionnaire

    Time frame: Up to 6 months with 3 months follow-up

    Will examine group differences over the 6-month follow-up period specifying the T4 as the primary endpoint using a dyadic model (assuming additional dependence in outcomes between patient and caregiver outcomes). This analysis will be imbedded in a linear mixed-effects (alternatively known as the multilevel) model analysis, with repeated measures over time (i.e., at end of CRT, 1-, 3- and 6-month follow-ups). In the mixed models, group will be entered as a primary variable of interest and baseline level of the outcome will be treated as a covariate.

    Participants Energy/Fatigue level-(0-lowest energy level/ 100-highest energy no fatigue)

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Other

Collaborators

  • National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Registry information

Official study title

Improving Healthcare Utilization and Quality of Life in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemoradiation and Their Family Caregivers

Important dates

Study start
2021
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
May 18, 2021
Registry last updated
Feb 19, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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