Cancer PatientsNCT05975333
Writing Intervention With Adolescents and Young Adults With Cancer
A study testing Writing and Interview in people with Cancer Patients and Communication Research, run by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Young people with cancer have difficult experiences and writing exercises may help improve their well-being. However, very few studies have examined how a creative writing activity might be useful for young people with cancer. In this pilot study, researchers at St. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 15 to 25 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Cancer Patients, Communication Research
- What is being tested?
- Writing and Interview
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 26 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 2 Aug 2023to Jul 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 15 to 25 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult
Who may be able to join
- Aged 15-25
- Currently receiving cancer-directed therapy
- Active patient at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
- Parent of a ChronCan participant who has passed away
Who cannot join
- Does not meet the inclusion criteria
- If the parents have not responded or not interviewed till July 31, 2027.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Memphis, Tennessee, 38105
Erica Kaye, MD, 888-226-4343, referralinfo@stjude.org
Erica Kaye, MD
About this study
Official title: ChronCan (Chronicling Cancer): Piloting a Novel Writing Intervention With Adolescents and Young Adults With Cancer
Young people with cancer have difficult experiences and writing exercises may help improve their well-being. However, very few studies have examined how a creative writing activity might be useful for young people with cancer. In this pilot study, researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital hope to explore whether teenagers and young adults with cancer want to participate in a writing exercise and whether they find it to be valuable.
Primary Objective
To assess the feasibility and acceptability of a writing-based narrative medicine intervention for adolescent and young adult patients with cancer.
Read the detailed description
Participants will be given the opportunity to write about their experiences with cancer, with support and guidance from an expert writer. Participants will meet briefly with the expert at the start of the exercise (15-30 minutes), and they can choose to meet 1-3 additional times with the expert over the next 2 months to receive further support if they wish.
After completing the writing exercise, participants will do an informal interview to share their thoughts about whether the experience of writing felt helpful or not. The post-intervention interview will occur at around 2 months after enrollment, +/- 1 month. Patients may participate in a second informal semi-structured interview 6 to 12 months after completing the first interview. Additionally, bereaved parents may participate in an informal interview on study.
- Conditions
- Cancer Patients, Communication Research
- Being tested
- Writing, Interview
- Keywords
- Adolescents, Young Adults, Writing Intervention, Interview
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
WritingBehavioural
Participants will be asked to write about their experiences with cancer, guided by several specific open-ended writing prompts to spark ideas.
InterviewBehavioural
Also called Questions
Following completion of the writing exercise, participants will reflect on their experiences with the writing intervention in a semi-structured private interview with a member of the research team.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Participants | Experimental | Adolescents and young adults (AYA) patients aged 15-25 years currently receiving cancer-directed therapy at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Receives: Behavioral: Writing; Behavioral: Interview |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Number of touchpoints that participants have with the narrative medicine expert/guide
To determine intervention feasibility, the number of touchpoints that participants have with the narrative medicine expert/guide will be tracked
Measured: During the narrative exercise, up to 2 months after enrollment
Number of participants who complete the writing exercise
To determine intervention feasibility, the number of participants who complete the writing exercise will be tracked
Measured: During the narrative exercise, up to 2 months after enrollment
Intervention acceptability
Comparison of acceptability between participants who did/did not participate in the optional check-ins. Analysis of de-identified semi-structured interviews will be done. Interviews will be recorded, transcribed, de-identified, and analyzed using content analysis, an inductive approach that includes memo-writing, codebook development, coding, reconciliation, and synthesis to identify emerging patterns and themes.
Measured: Post-intervention interview will occur after the narrative exercise is completed at around 2 months after enrollment, +/- 1 month
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted3 Aug 2023
- Study start2 Aug 2023
- Primary completion17 May 2024
- Study completionJul 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Cancer PatientsStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by St. Jude Children's Research HospitalThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 26 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Erica Kaye, MD, Principal investigator, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05975333
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- ChronCan
- Other IDs
- NCI-2023-06074
- Status last verified
- May 2026
- First submitted
- 27 Jul 2023
- Last updated
- 8 May 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: Individual participant de-identified datasets containing the variables analyzed in the published article will be made available (related to the study primary or secondary objectives contained in the publication). Supporting documents such as the protocol, statistical analyses plan, and informed consent are available through the CTG website for the specific study. Data used to generate the published article will be made available at the time of article publication. Investigators who seek access to individual level de-identified data will contact the computing team in the Department of Biostatistics (ClinTrialDataRequest@stjude.org) who will respond to the data request.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 8 May 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- ChronCan (Chronicling Cancer): Piloting a Novel Writing Intervention With Adolescents and Young Adults With Cancer
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05975333
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- ChronCan
- Conditions
- Cancer Patients, Communication Research
- Keywords
- Adolescents, Young Adults, Writing Intervention, Interview
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 26 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- St. Jude Children's Research HospitalUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 2 Aug 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 17 May 2024 (actual)
- Study completion
- Jul 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 3 Aug 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Young people with cancer have difficult experiences and writing exercises may help improve their well-being. However, very few studies have examined how a creative writing activity might be useful for young people with cancer. In this pilot study, researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital hope to explore whether teenagers and young adults with cancer want to participate in a writing exercise and whether they find it to be valuable.
Primary Objective
To assess the feasibility and acceptability of a writing-based narrative medicine intervention for adolescent and young adult patients with cancer.
Detailed description
Participants will be given the opportunity to write about their experiences with cancer, with support and guidance from an expert writer. Participants will meet briefly with the expert at the start of the exercise (15-30 minutes), and they can choose to meet 1-3 additional times with the expert over the next 2 months to receive further support if they wish.
After completing the writing exercise, participants will do an informal interview to share their thoughts about whether the experience of writing felt helpful or not. The post-intervention interview will occur at around 2 months after enrollment, +/- 1 month. Patients may participate in a second informal semi-structured interview 6 to 12 months after completing the first interview. Additionally, bereaved parents may participate in an informal interview on study.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Participants | Experimental | Behavioral: Writing, Behavioral: InterviewAdolescents and young adults (AYA) patients aged 15-25 years currently receiving cancer-directed therapy at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 15 to 25 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Aged 15-25
- Currently receiving cancer-directed therapy
- Active patient at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
- Parent of a ChronCan participant who has passed away
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Does not meet the inclusion criteria
- If the parents have not responded or not interviewed till July 31, 2027.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| WritingParticipants will be asked to write about their experiences with cancer, guided by several specific open-ended writing prompts to spark ideas. | Behavioural | Participants |
| InterviewAlso: QuestionsFollowing completion of the writing exercise, participants will reflect on their experiences with the writing intervention in a semi-structured private interview with a member of the research team. | Behavioural | Participants |
Primary outcome
Number of touchpoints that participants have with the narrative medicine expert/guide
Time frame: During the narrative exercise, up to 2 months after enrollment
To determine intervention feasibility, the number of touchpoints that participants have with the narrative medicine expert/guide will be tracked
Number of participants who complete the writing exercise
Time frame: During the narrative exercise, up to 2 months after enrollment
To determine intervention feasibility, the number of participants who complete the writing exercise will be tracked
Intervention acceptability
Time frame: Post-intervention interview will occur after the narrative exercise is completed at around 2 months after enrollment, +/- 1 month
Comparison of acceptability between participants who did/did not participate in the optional check-ins. Analysis of de-identified semi-structured interviews will be done. Interviews will be recorded, transcribed, de-identified, and analyzed using content analysis, an inductive approach that includes memo-writing, codebook development, coding, reconciliation, and synthesis to identify emerging patterns and themes.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 8 May 2026.
- St. Jude Children's Research HospitalLink provided by the sponsor.
- Clinical Trials Open at St. JudeLink provided by the sponsor.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. Individual participant de-identified datasets containing the variables analyzed in the published article will be made available (related to the study primary or secondary objectives contained in the publication). Supporting documents such as the protocol, statistical analyses plan, and informed consent are available through the CTG website for the specific study. Data used to generate the published article will be made available at the time of article publication. Investigators who seek access to individual level de-identified data will contact the computing team in the Department of Biostatistics (ClinTrialDataRequest@stjude.org) who will respond to the data request.
Related trials for Cancer Patients
RecruitingPhase 2
Tafasitamab With Acalabrutinib and Venetoclax for the Treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma
Active, not recruitingPhase 1/2
Selumetinib in Treating Young Patients With Recurrent or Refractory Low Grade Glioma
Low Grade Glioma, Recurrent Childhood Pilocytic Astrocytoma
RecruitingObservational study
Proton Re-irradiation in Patients With Recurrent or Second Primary Head and Neck Cancer , a Multicentre Phase II Single Arm Trial
Head & Neck Cancer
RecruitingObservational study
A Prospective ,Multicenter ,Non-interventional ,Real-world Study Observing Changes in Molecular Markers Osimertinib Targeted Therapy in EGFRm NSCLC
Non Small Cell Lung Cancer
Active, not recruiting
Streamlined Geriatric and Oncological Evaluation Based On IC Technology
Breast Cancer, Comorbidities and Coexisting Conditions
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Erica Kaye, MD principal investigator
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Writing and Interview in people with Cancer Patients and Communication Research, run by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 8 May 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Erica Kaye, MD (888-226-4343, referralinfo@stjude.org), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Number of touchpoints that participants have with the narrative medicine expert/guide (time frame: During the narrative exercise, up to 2 months after enrollment). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 8 May 2026.