NeoplasmsNCT03945734
Expressive Helping for Chinese-Speaking Cancer Patients and Survivors
A study testing Expressive Helping in people with Neoplasms and Cancer, run by New York University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This study examines the feasibility, cultural-sensitivity, and health effects of the expressive helping intervention by conducting a single-arm trial with Chinese-speaking cancer patients and survivors. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- What is being tested?
- Expressive Helping
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 60 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 20 May 2019to 30 Dec 2020
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
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 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Diagnosis of cancer (any type)
- Of Chinese descent
- Over the age of 18
- Can speaking and read Mandarin Chinese
Who cannot join
- Completed primary cancer treatment more than five years ago
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Feasibility of Expressive Helping for Chinese-Speaking Cancer Patients and Survivors
This study examines the feasibility, cultural-sensitivity, and health effects of the expressive helping intervention by conducting a single-arm trial with Chinese-speaking cancer patients and survivors.
Read the detailed description
This study examines whether expressive helping is feasible and culturally-sensitive for Chinese American cancer patients and survivors. For 20 minutes each week over four weeks, participants choose to write or voice-record their thoughts about cancer by following specific prompts designed to help them process their cancer experiences. During the last week of this reflection exercise, participants write or voice-record an anonymous letter to another Chinese cancer patient by sharing their cancer experience and providing advice and encouragement. Health outcomes are assessed at baseline, 1-month, and 3-month follow-ups. A subset of the participants will be invited to share their experiences with the study through qualitative interviews after the last writing/voice-recording session. This research study provides an opportunity for Chinese American cancer patients and survivors to express their feelings without the fear of burdening others, and give them an opportunity to help others by sharing their cancer experiences.
- Being tested
- Expressive Helping
- Medical subject headings
- Neoplasms
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Expressive HelpingBehavioural
Expressive helping harnesses the benefits of helping others (e.g., support giving) through writing or voice-recording. Expressive helping integrates two distinct areas of research showing that writing or speaking about ones' negative experiences and engaging in support giving behaviors can improve psychological well-being.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Expressive Helping | Experimental | Participants complete four 20-minute writing/voice-recording sessions spaced one week apart. During the first week, the instructions will explain that cancer patients and survivors benefit from learning about other cancer survivors' experiences. They are told that the first three weeks of writing/voice-recording (writing/talking about their stress and coping at Week 1, deepest emotions about cancer at Week 2, self-affirmation and benefit finding at Week 3) are exercises designed to help them think about their cancer experiences and to prepare them to write/record the narrative they would share on Week 4. During Week 4, they are asked to write/record a narrative as if they are speaking to another Chinese person with cancer, adding advice and encouragements, and reminded that their writing/recording would be shared with other Chinese American cancer patients and survivors. Receives: Behavioral: Expressive Helping |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Number of participants screened
The number of participants screened for eligibility will be counted.
Measured: through study completion, an average of 1 year
Compliance rate
Compliance rate is calculated by dividing the number of writing/voice-recording sessions finished by the number of sessions assigned.
Measured: through study completion, an average of 1 year
Retention rate
Retention rate is calculated by dividing the number of participants who began the study by the number of participants who finished the entire study.
Measured: through study completion, an average of 1 year
Meaningfulness of the study
We will ask participants open-ended questions about whether they felt participating in this study was meaningful to them.
Measured: This will be assessed approximately four weeks after the baseline
Secondary outcomes (2)
Change in quality of life as assessed by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Scale (FACT).
The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Scale (FACT) is a 27-item measure of health-related quality of life (Cella \& Tulsky,1993). This scale assesses contains four different subscales, including physical well-being (7 items), social well-being (7 items), emotional well-being (6 items), and functional well-being (7 items).
Measured: Baseline; 1-month follow-up; 3-month follow-up
Change in depressive symptoms as assessed by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D).
The CES-D (Radloff, 1977) is a 20-item measure of depressive symptoms.
Measured: Baseline; 1-month follow-up; 3-month follow-up
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted10 May 2019
- Study start20 May 2019
- Primary completion30 Dec 2020
- Study completion30 Dec 2020
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for NeoplasmsStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by New York UniversityThe 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
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- New York University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03945734
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 19-0612
- Status last verified
- Mar 2021
- First submitted
- 7 May 2019
- Last updated
- 3 Dec 2025
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 3 Dec 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Feasibility of Expressive Helping for Chinese-Speaking Cancer Patients and Survivors
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03945734
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 19-0612
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- New York UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 20 May 2019 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Dec 2020 (actual)
- Study completion
- 30 Dec 2020 (actual)
- First posted
- 10 May 2019 (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.
This study examines the feasibility, cultural-sensitivity, and health effects of the expressive helping intervention by conducting a single-arm trial with Chinese-speaking cancer patients and survivors.
Detailed description
This study examines whether expressive helping is feasible and culturally-sensitive for Chinese American cancer patients and survivors. For 20 minutes each week over four weeks, participants choose to write or voice-record their thoughts about cancer by following specific prompts designed to help them process their cancer experiences. During the last week of this reflection exercise, participants write or voice-record an anonymous letter to another Chinese cancer patient by sharing their cancer experience and providing advice and encouragement. Health outcomes are assessed at baseline, 1-month, and 3-month follow-ups. A subset of the participants will be invited to share their experiences with the study through qualitative interviews after the last writing/voice-recording session. This research study provides an opportunity for Chinese American cancer patients and survivors to express their feelings without the fear of burdening others, and give them an opportunity to help others by sharing their cancer experiences.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Expressive Helping | Experimental | Behavioral: Expressive HelpingParticipants complete four 20-minute writing/voice-recording sessions spaced one week apart. During the first week, the instructions will explain that cancer patients and survivors benefit from learning about other cancer survivors' experiences. They are told that the first three weeks of writing/voice-recording (writing/talking about their stress and coping at Week 1, deepest emotions about cancer at Week 2, self-affirmation and benefit finding at Week 3) are exercises designed to help them think about their cancer experiences and to prepare them to write/record the narrative they would share on Week 4. During Week 4, they are asked to write/record a narrative as if they are speaking to another Chinese person with cancer, adding advice and encouragements, and reminded that their writing/recording would be shared with other Chinese American cancer patients and survivors. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Diagnosis of cancer (any type)
- Of Chinese descent
- Over the age of 18
- Can speaking and read Mandarin Chinese
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Completed primary cancer treatment more than five years ago
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Expressive HelpingExpressive helping harnesses the benefits of helping others (e.g., support giving) through writing or voice-recording. Expressive helping integrates two distinct areas of research showing that writing or speaking about ones' negative experiences and engaging in support giving behaviors can improve psychological well-being. | Behavioural | Expressive Helping |
Primary outcome
Number of participants screened
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 1 year
The number of participants screened for eligibility will be counted.
Compliance rate
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 1 year
Compliance rate is calculated by dividing the number of writing/voice-recording sessions finished by the number of sessions assigned.
Retention rate
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 1 year
Retention rate is calculated by dividing the number of participants who began the study by the number of participants who finished the entire study.
Meaningfulness of the study
Time frame: This will be assessed approximately four weeks after the baseline
We will ask participants open-ended questions about whether they felt participating in this study was meaningful to them.
2 secondary outcomes
Change in quality of life as assessed by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Scale (FACT).
Time frame: Baseline; 1-month follow-up; 3-month follow-up
Change in depressive symptoms as assessed by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D).
Time frame: Baseline; 1-month follow-up; 3-month follow-up
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 3 Dec 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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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. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Expressive Helping in people with Neoplasms and Cancer, run by New York University 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 1 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: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 3 Dec 2025. 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?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Number of participants screened (time frame: through study completion, an average of 1 year). The study lists 4 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 3 Dec 2025.