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OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT06331403

Open Pilot Trial of a Mind-Body Sexual Well-Being Intervention for Female GI Cancer Survivors

The primary goal of this protocol is to conduct an open pilot to collect initial quantitative and qualitative feedback on the intervention that the investigators are developing. To do so, the investigators will deliver a newly-developed intervention to up to 2 consecutive groups of female colorectal and anal cancer survivors (n = up to 10 per group, total N = up to 20). Participants will provide feedback regarding intervention acceptability, feasibility, and perceived benefit.

To inform plans for ongoing program refinement, the investigators will elicit specific feedback about study assessment tools, recruitment procedures, and group factors. Given the early-stage, open pilot nature of this protocol, the investigators will not set strict criteria to establish feasibility and acceptability but will rather interpret each of these outcomes holistically. Qualitative feedback collected in post-intervention exit interviews will also support understanding of feasibility and acceptability.

As a secondary aim, the investigators will explore the preliminary effects of the intervention on psychosocial measures of satisfaction with sexuality and impact of functional limitations, coping abilities, acceptance of body image changes, loneliness, and anticipated stigma. As noted above, the investigators will not set specific criteria to establish preliminary efficacy, nor will they consider statistical significance as an indicator of the study's efficacy for these outcomes. Instead, the investigators will consider pre-post intervention effect sizes to consider the need for refinement of study procedures/measurement in a future larger trial.

In future, larger-scale, work, the investigators intend to conduct a larger randomized pilot trial to assess intervention acceptability, feasibility, as well as preliminary efficacy on essential outcomes related to sexual well-being.

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Key information

Conditions

Colorectal Cancer Anal Cancer Anus Diseases Anus Neoplasms Colonic Diseases Colorectal Neoplasms Digestive System Diseases Digestive System Neoplasms Gastrointestinal Diseases Gastrointestinal Neoplasms Genital Diseases Intestinal Diseases Intestinal Neoplasms Neoplasms Neoplasms by Site Rectal Diseases Rectal Neoplasms Sexual Dysfunction Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological Urogenital Diseases

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

Female

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center

Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States

About this study

This is an open pilot trial to gather initial data regarding feasibility, acceptability, and perceived impact of a 6-session mind-body group intervention that the investigators are developing to enhance sexual well-being among post-treatment female colorectal and anal cancer survivors.

The investigators will enroll up to 10 women per group into up to 2 groups (total N = up to 20). The team will run groups consecutively so that any necessary changes from the first open pilot group may be incorporated and re-examined in the second.

Participants will complete informed consent prior to initiation of study procedures. To inform ongoing intervention refinement, the investigators will ask participants to complete approximately 15-minute survey batteries via REDCap at baseline and after the 6-session program, including assessments of intervention feasibility and acceptability as well as psychosocial outcomes. Participants will also be invited to complete a brief qualitative exit interview with a member of the study team, regarding perceived benefit of the intervention as well as and strengths and weaknesses of program content and delivery format to inform ongoing intervention refinement.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Female sex
  • English-speaking
  • Aged 18 or older
  • Receive any cancer care at MGH-CC sites (Boston, Waltham, Danvers, Newton Wellesley Hospital)
  • Completed initial active treatment (i.e., surgery, radiation, chemotherapy) for colorectal or anal cancer approximately 3 months or more prior to enrollment OR diagnosed longer than 3 months ago if in metastatic cancer treatment.

Exclusion criteria

  • Active psychiatric or cognitive comorbidity that prohibits the capacity to provide informed consent as determined by the study PI, a licensed psychologist, in collaboration with the patient's medical team
  • Adults unable to complete study procedures in English.
  • Participated in an earlier phase of the research study

Treatment and study plan

Mind-Body Group Intervention

Behavioral

Weekly virtual group meetings with the study interventionist(s) and up to 9 other female cancer survivors over an approximately 6 week period. The group program includes topics related to coping with physical health changes, managing social factors relevant to sexual well-being, and managing thoughts and feelings related to sexual well-being changes.

Primary outcomes

  1. Feasibility of Intervention

    Time frame: Approximately 6 weeks after the final 6-week (up to N=2 groups) group program begins

    The primary feasibility metric will be program engagement, quantified as participant rates of intervention attendance (% attending at least 4 of 6 sessions). Given the preliminary, open pilot nature of this protocol, the investigators will not set a priori criteria to establish feasibility but will rather use these data to inform ongoing protocol refinement.

  2. Acceptability of Intervention

    Time frame: Approximately 6 weeks following group program start

    The primary intervention acceptability metric will be participant ratings of overall comfort with the group program (% rating comfort with the group sessions =>4 on a single 1-5 Likert scale). Given the preliminary, open pilot nature of this protocol, the investigators will not set a priori criteria to establish acceptability but will rather use these data to inform ongoing protocol refinement.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Massachusetts General Hospital

Other

Collaborators

  • Harvard Medical School (HMS and HSDM)

Registry information

Official study title

Open Pilot Trial of a Novel Mind-Body Sexual Well-Being Intervention for Female GI Cancer Survivors

Important dates

Study start
2024
Primary completion
2024
Study completion
2025
First posted
Mar 26, 2024
Registry last updated
Nov 24, 2025

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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