Project Summary
This research project is in progress. PCORI will post the research findings on this page within 90 days after the results are final.
What is the research about?
Black women tend to have higher-risk endometrial cancer, or EC, than White women. Black women are also less likely to survive EC. Treatment for high-risk EC may include chemotherapy, radiation, or immunotherapy. But without social support, some patients may delay or stop treatment sooner than doctors recommend.
In this study, the research team is comparing three ways to help Black women complete treatment for EC and decrease social isolation during treatment:
- One-on-one peer support. A trained peer mentor who is a Black EC survivor holds 45-minute phone or video calls with each patient. Calls occur before, during, or shortly after a treatment visit. Peer mentors provide social support and tailor the discussion to meet the patient’s needs.
- Group support. Patients attend weekly 60-minute group meetings with up to seven patients. A peer mentor who is a Black EC survivor leads the group, with discussion on topics such as treatment side effects, mental health, and nutrition. Group meetings also include discussions with experts on these and other topics.
- Enhanced usual care. Patients receive materials with information on EC treatment and tips for managing side effects, mental health, and nutrition. The materials are written by Black EC survivors.
Who can this research help?
Results may help clinics when considering ways to offer social support for Black women receiving treatment for EC.
What is the research team doing?
The research team is enrolling 252 Black women with high-risk EC from nine health centers in the United States. Women in the study have a documented doctor’s recommendation to receive treatment with radiation, chemotherapy, and/or immunotherapy. The team is assigning women by chance to receive one-on-one peer support, group support, or enhanced usual care.
The research team is reviewing data from medical records to see if women finish treatment. The team is also surveying women at the start of the study and again one, three, and six months later. Surveys ask about social isolation and other aspects of quality of life. Also, the team is interviewing 15 women from each of the three groups at the start of the study and again six months later to learn about the support patients received and how well support strategies worked for patients. The team is also interviewing doctors, nurses, cancer center senior staff, and peer supporters about what they would need to offer peer support at more treatment centers.
Black women with EC are helping to design and conduct the study.
Research methods at a glance
| Design Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Design | Pragmatic randomized controlled trial |
| Population | 252 Black women with high-risk EC |
| Interventions/ Comparators |
|
| Outcomes |
Primary: treatment completion Secondary: patient-reported social isolation |
| 6-month follow-up for primary outcome |