Clinical Research Directory

Feasibility of Incorporating a Standardized Substance Use Measure With Linked-Brief Intervention Into Routine Psychosocial Care of Adult Childhood Cancer Survivors

The ASSIST Study is designed to explore whether a brief, evidence based substance use screening and counseling approach can be easily integrated into routine survivorship care at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. During a regularly scheduled psychosocial visit, participants complete the World Health Organization's Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST). This short questionnaire helps identify patterns of use related to tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, prescription medications, and other substances. Survivors whose results show possible risk receive a brief, supportive counseling session during the same appointment. This session uses motivational interviewing techniques to help individuals reflect on their use and consider steps to reduce potential harm. Primary Objective: \- Assess the feasibility and acceptability of implementing a standardized assessment of substance use and brief substance use reduction intervention in survivorship clinical settings. Secondary Objective: \- Evaluate the reliability of delivering a brief substance use intervention to reduce substance use behaviors among Adult Survivors of Childhood Cancer (ASCC) followed in the (ACT) Clinic.

Validation of a Rapid Screening Tool for Anxiety-depressive Disorders in Children, Adolescents and Young Adults Treated in Oncology. Multicenter Study.

In France today, it is estimated that one in every 850 people aged between 20 and 45 is a childhood cancer survivor (CCS), equivalent to around 40,000 to 50,000 people. Some descriptive studies have established that the diagnosis and treatment of cancer can affect psychological health. A French study published by our team in 2015 and 2020 showed that in adulthood, 40% of CCS had anxiety symptoms, a rate significantly higher than that of the general French population (25%). However, although there are validated scales for screening children for psychological disorders (anxiety, depression, etc.), there is no rapid screening tool that can be used routinely by an oncologist during consultations. So, the study aims to develop and validate a short test, which could easily be carried out systematically during follow-up consultations after childhood cancer. It would make it possible to identify people with no psychological complications and, conversely, those in whom further investigation, based on the classic reference scales for assessing psychological disorders, would be relevant.

Game-Based Physical Activity in Childhood Cancer Survivors

This study will test whether a game-based exercise plan can help increase the level of physical activity in childhood cancer survivors. The game-based exercise plan will involve participation by both a childhood cancer survivor and his/her parent or caregiver. This study will also look at whether the game-based exercise plan improves childhood cancer survivors' quality of life.

A Study of Oral Minoxidil to Treat Hair Loss in Children, Teens, and Young Adults Who Are Cancer Survivors

This study will test whether minoxidil taken by mouth (oral minoxidil) can improve hair loss caused by cancer treatment in children and young adults. In addition, the researchers will test the safety of oral minoxidil, and see if the study drug causes few or mild side effects in participants. Other purposes of this study include looking at whether participants are able to follow their study drug dosing schedules, and how oral minoxidil affects participants' quality of life.

Behavioral Reinforcement Intervention for Greater Health Trajectories After Childhood Cancer (BRIGHT)

Survivors of childhood cancer have a substantially increased risk of long-term health problems in adulthood, including cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, psychological morbidity, and impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL). These risks are partly related to cancer treatment exposures but are also strongly influenced by modifiable lifestyle factors such as physical activity, diet, body weight, and cardiometabolic risk factors. Although healthy lifestyle behaviors are known to reduce morbidity and mortality in this population, many adult childhood cancer survivors do not meet current lifestyle recommendations and rarely receive structured, tailored support to change health behaviors. The Behavioral Reinforcement Intervention for Greater Health Trajectories (BRIGHT) study aims to evaluate whether a person-centered, remotely delivered lifestyle intervention can improve health-related quality of life and key health markers in adult survivors of childhood cancer with an unhealthy lifestyle. The intervention focuses on increasing physical activity and improving dietary habits through structured video-based coaching delivered by trained health promoters over a 26-week period. BRIGHT is conducted within NOPHO-CARE Sweden, a national population-based cohort of childhood cancer survivors, and uses a register-based randomized controlled design with two randomization steps. First, eligible participants are randomized to be offered the intervention or not, enabling evaluation of the population-level effect of offering the intervention through long-term register-based follow-up. Second, participants who consent to active participation are randomized to immediate or delayed start of the intervention, allowing controlled assessment of short-term intervention effects. The primary research question is whether the BRIGHT lifestyle intervention leads to a clinically meaningful improvement in health-related quality of life, measured by the PROPr utility index derived from PROMIS-29, compared with a control period. Secondary questions address whether the intervention improves physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, diet quality, body weight, blood pressure, and cardiometabolic and biological markers, including epigenetic age acceleration. The study also examines feasibility, adherence, and scalability of delivering a person-centered lifestyle intervention within a national survivorship follow-up structure. In addition, BRIGHT investigates whether offering the intervention to the full eligible population leads to long-term reductions in cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease, psychiatric morbidity, and mortality, using national health registers. By combining individual-level efficacy and population-level effectiveness within a single study framework, BRIGHT aims to generate robust evidence to inform future preventive care and long-term follow-up strategies for adult survivors of childhood cancer.

Complementary Behavioral Interventions To Remediate Cognitive Impairment or Emotional Distress in Cancer Survivors

Childhood cancer survivors are at risk for accelerated aging due to the specific treatments they have received to cure their cancer. Several interventions, including exercise, cognitive training, and mindfulness practice, have been developed and studied for effectiveness among participants in the St. Jude Lifetime Cohort (SJLIFE) to mitigate these effects. The interventions offered thus far have not included two components at the same time. The purpose of this study is to determine whether or not adult cancer survivors enrolled in SJLIFE will participate in two interventions at the same time. The combined interventions will include exercise plus cognitive training or exercise plus mindfulness practice. Each intervention will be conducted over a 12-week period. Participants will also be asked to complete follow-up testing after the 12-week intervention period is completed. Primary Objectives • To determine the acceptability of a two-component intervention (exercise (EX) plus cognitive training (CT) or exercise (EX) plus mindfulness practice (MP)) among survivors of childhood cancer with either cognitive impairment or emotional distress. Hypotheses: * 45% of those approached for participation in each arm of this study will enroll on the study. * Among those who enroll, 70% will complete the follow-up testing at 12 weeks. * Among those who completed the follow-up testing, the mean attendance to the intervention sessions will be 70% on each of their two interventions. That is, they will complete 70% of exercise sessions and 70% of either cognitive training or mindfulness practice. * To identify barriers and facilitators to intervention adherence. Hypotheses: * Participants will identify features of the study processes that either facilitate or discourage adherence. * Participants will identify features of the intervention technology and intervention components that either facilitate or discourage adherence. * Participants will identify personal factors that facilitate or discourage adherence.

Impact of Chemotherapy on Urinary Biomarkers and Non-Invasive Urodynamics in Children

The over-arching aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of two specific anti-cancer chemotherapies, vincristine and doxorubicin, on bladder function and urine composition.