BOLSTER: Learning New Skills to Thrive

NCT ID: NCT06936878

Last Updated: 2025-12-17

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

600 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-05-12

Study Completion Date

2029-09-30

Brief Summary

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This research study is evaluating a new program called Building Out Lifelines for Safety, Trust, Empowerment, and Renewal or (BOLSTER), which was designed to support participants with a gynecological or gastrointestinal cancer and new and complex care needs.

Detailed Description

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This multi-center, randomized trial is to test the efficacy of the BOLSTER Program and to improve participant quality of life (QOL), alleviate symptoms, reduce burden, and decrease the need for hospital care in participants with complex care needs from advanced gastrointestinal and gynecologic (GI/GYN) cancers.

The research study procedures include screening for eligibility, questionnaires, and telehealth visits.

Participation in this research study is expected to last about 12 weeks.

About 300 dyads (patients with family caregivers) are expected to participate in this research study.

The National Cancer Institute is funding this research study by providing funding.

Conditions

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Gastrointestinal Cancer Gynecologic Cancer Advanced Cancer

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Arm 1: Usual Care

Participants and their care partners (a family member or loved one involved in their care) will be randomized in a 1:1 fashion and stratified by institution and cancer type and will complete:

* Baseline visit
* Standard-of-care oncology appointments
* Access to nurse and specialist appointments
* 6 week survey
* 12 week survey

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Arm 2: Bolster Program

Patients and their care partners (a family member or loved one involved in their care) will be randomized in a 1:1 fashion and stratified by institution and cancer type and will complete:

* Baseline visit
* 6 telehealth sessions with a nurse for patients and their care partners
* 2 brief telehealth sessions for care partners.
* Access to the Bolster Program website with tailored educational materials
* 6 week survey
* 12 week survey

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

BOLSTER Program

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

This supportive care program includes six telehealth sessions led by a trained nurse to help patients with advanced gynecological or gastrointestinal cancers and their care partners build skills, manage symptoms, and cope with challenges. Two additional sessions will be help support care partners. Participants will also get access to the BOLSTER website, which offers personalized educational materials to support their well-being

Interventions

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BOLSTER Program

This supportive care program includes six telehealth sessions led by a trained nurse to help patients with advanced gynecological or gastrointestinal cancers and their care partners build skills, manage symptoms, and cope with challenges. Two additional sessions will be help support care partners. Participants will also get access to the BOLSTER website, which offers personalized educational materials to support their well-being

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

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BOLSTER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Age ≥18 years
* Currently hospitalized with skilled care need or have acquired a new skilled care need as an outpatient
* Diagnosed with advanced gastrointestinal cancer (esophageal, gastric, pancreatic, hepatobiliary, colorectal, unknown GI primary, anal) or advanced gynecologic cancer (ovarian, endometrial, cervical, vaginal, vulvar)
* Has a complex care need (e.g., ostomy, ileostomy, urostomy, nephrostomy, biliary drain, venting gastric tube, feeding tube, intraabdominal or pleural catheter, wound VAC)
* Plans to receive ongoing cancer treatment
* Has a family caregiver or friend (hereafter designated family caregiver) willing to participate
* Able to speak and read English or Spanish (self-report)
* Are willing to be audio-recorded
* Have the cognitive/physical ability to participate in a 60-minute interview


* Age ≥ 18 years
* Identified by a patient (as defined above) as a family or friend who is involved in their care.
* Willing to participate in study visits
* Willing to be audio recorded

Exclusion Criteria

* Has cognitive impairments (as determined by the patient's oncologist)
* Planning to enroll in hospice
* Unable to complete baseline survey
* Adults unable to consent
* Individuals who are not yet adults (infants, children, teenagers)
* Prisoners


* Unable to complete baseline survey
* Adults unable to consent
* Individuals who are not yet adults (infants, children, teenagers)
* Prisoners
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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National Cancer Institute (NCI)

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Alexi A. Wright, MD

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Alexi Wright, MD MPH

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Locations

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Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Houston, Texas, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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United States

Central Contacts

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Alexi Wright, MD, MPH

Role: CONTACT

617-632-2334

Irene Wang, MPH

Role: CONTACT

617-582-7238

Facility Contacts

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Alexi Wright, MD, MPH

Role: primary

617-632-2334

Larissa Meyer, MD

Role: primary

713-745-0973

Maria Iniesta-Donate, MD, PhD

Role: backup

281-928-9892

Other Identifiers

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R01CA270040-01A1

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

24-523

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id