CancerOASIS1NCT06894849
Text -Based Depression Screening Among Cancer Survivors
A study testing Text-based depression screening in people with Cancer and Depression Secondary to Other Disease, run by Medical University of South Carolina at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Depression is common among cancer survivors, but current screening methods are not always effective. To help improve depression screening for cancer survivors, this study will conduct a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 60 participants. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Cancer, Depression Secondary to Other Disease, Cancer Survivor
- What is being tested?
- Text-based depression screening
- Type of treatment
- Pill or oral medicine, Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 79 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 5 Jan 2026to 30 Jun 2026
- 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
- age > 18 years
- diagnosis of cancer
- upcoming appointment in an HCC or HCN oncology clinic within 14 days
- English proficiency
- ownership of a cellphone with SMS text capability.
Who cannot join
None listed.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina, 29425
About this study
Official title: Evaluation of a Text Message-Based Approach to Depression Screening Among Cancer Survivors
Depression is common among cancer survivors, but current screening methods are not always effective. To help improve depression screening for cancer survivors, this study will conduct a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 60 participants. The goal is to evaluate whether a text message-based approach to depression screening is feasible, acceptable, and potentially more effective than the current standard of care.
Read the detailed description
This pilot randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a text message-based depression screening approach for cancer survivors. A total of 60 adult cancer survivors will be enrolled and randomly assigned to either the text message intervention or the usual care depression screening. The intervention involves sending text messages one week before scheduled oncology appointments, inviting participants to complete a depression screening using the PHQ-2, followed by the PHQ-9 for those who screen positive.
The study will assess the feasibility of implementing text message-based screenings, participant acceptability, and compare the efficacy of this method to traditional in-person depression screenings during clinical visits. The primary outcome is feasibility, measured by the proportion of participants completing the screening via text, while secondary outcomes will include acceptability (assessed through participant surveys) and preliminary efficacy (measured by screening completion rates and depression detection).
Eligible participants will be English-speaking cancer survivors aged 18 or older with an upcoming oncology appointment at the Hollings Cancer Center or associated clinics. The study aims to improve current depression screening methods and address challenges such as logistical and system-level barriers in screening cancer survivors for depression.
- Being tested
- Text-based depression screening, Usual care (UC)
- Keywords
- Cancer Survivorship, Depression Screening, Text Message Screening, Mobile Health
- Medical subject headings
- Neoplasms
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Text-based depression screeningBehavioural
Starting 1 week prior to the scheduled clinic appointment, patients will receive a text message invitation from HCC to complete depression screening. Participants will be asked to click to continue to the screening PHQ-2. For text message screening cadence, reminder texts will be sent daily for 3 days. Those who screen positive (PHQ-2 >/= 3) will complete the remainder of the items (i.e., PHQ-9).
Usual care (UC)Behavioural
Usual care (UC) will consist of in-person assessment of depression using a validated brief screening tool (e.g., PHQ-2) synchronous with a clinical encounter with the outpatient oncology team. Although the person completing the screening (e.g., nurse, medical assistant) and other workflow may vary slightly across settings, the 2-items are generally presented orally to the patient during routine intake for a clinical encounter and entered into the EHR. Patients who screen positive will be asked to complete the full PHQ-9.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Text-Based Depression Screening | Experimental | Not described Receives: Behavioral: Text-based depression screening |
| Usual Care | Active comparator | Not described Receives: Behavioral: Usual care (UC) |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Study Feasibility
>/= 1 response to a text message
Measured: 2 weeks after randomization
Secondary outcomes (4)
Acceptability
acceptability will be rated on a likert scale form 0-5 with higher scores representing greater acceptability
Measured: 2 weeks
Depression screening
completion of PHQ-2 (Y/N)
Measured: 2 weeks
PHQ-2 score
The PHQ-2 is a validated 2-item measure of depression screening that is widely used among patients with cancer. The PHQ-2 score ranges from 0 to 6. Higher scores indicate more severe depressive symptoms; a PHQ-2 score of ≥ 3 is considered a positive screening.
Measured: 2 weeks
PHQ-9 score
Participants who screen positive for elevated depressive symptoms on the PHQ-2 (i.e, > 3) will complete the PHQ-9, a validated 9-item measure of depression. The PHQ-9 has high sensitivity and specificity for identifying individuals with depressive symptoms, particularly among cancer survivors. The PHQ-9 score ranges from 0 to 27; higher scores represent more severe depressive symptoms. A PHQ-9 score of ≥ 8 indicates clinically significant elevated depressive symptoms among patients with cancer.
Measured: 2 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted25 Mar 2025
- Study start5 Jan 2026
- Primary completion29 May 2026
- Study completion30 Jun 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for CancerStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- 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
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Investigator
- Enrolment
- 79 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Medical University of South Carolina
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Evan Graboyes, Medical University of South Carolina
- Investigators
- Evan Graboyes, MD, MPH, FACS, Principal investigator, Medical University of South Carolina
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06894849
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 00142039
- Other IDs
- FD006/CC001335/FN09
- Acronym
- OASIS1
- Status last verified
- Jul 2026
- First submitted
- 6 Feb 2025
- Last updated
- 15 Jul 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 15 Jul 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Evaluation of a Text Message-Based Approach to Depression Screening Among Cancer Survivors
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06894849
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- OASIS1 / 00142039
- Keywords
- Cancer Survivorship, Depression Screening, Text Message Screening, Mobile Health
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 79 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Medical University of South CarolinaUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 5 Jan 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 29 May 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 30 Jun 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 25 Mar 2025 (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.
Depression is common among cancer survivors, but current screening methods are not always effective. To help improve depression screening for cancer survivors, this study will conduct a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 60 participants. The goal is to evaluate whether a text message-based approach to depression screening is feasible, acceptable, and potentially more effective than the current standard of care.
Detailed description
This pilot randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a text message-based depression screening approach for cancer survivors. A total of 60 adult cancer survivors will be enrolled and randomly assigned to either the text message intervention or the usual care depression screening. The intervention involves sending text messages one week before scheduled oncology appointments, inviting participants to complete a depression screening using the PHQ-2, followed by the PHQ-9 for those who screen positive.
The study will assess the feasibility of implementing text message-based screenings, participant acceptability, and compare the efficacy of this method to traditional in-person depression screenings during clinical visits. The primary outcome is feasibility, measured by the proportion of participants completing the screening via text, while secondary outcomes will include acceptability (assessed through participant surveys) and preliminary efficacy (measured by screening completion rates and depression detection).
Eligible participants will be English-speaking cancer survivors aged 18 or older with an upcoming oncology appointment at the Hollings Cancer Center or associated clinics. The study aims to improve current depression screening methods and address challenges such as logistical and system-level barriers in screening cancer survivors for depression.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (investigator)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Text-Based Depression Screening | Experimental | Behavioral: Text-based depression screening |
| Usual Care | Active comparator | Behavioral: Usual care (UC) |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- age > 18 years
- diagnosis of cancer
- upcoming appointment in an HCC or HCN oncology clinic within 14 days
- English proficiency
- ownership of a cellphone with SMS text capability.
Key exclusion criteria (0 listed)
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Text-based depression screeningStarting 1 week prior to the scheduled clinic appointment, patients will receive a text message invitation from HCC to complete depression screening. Participants will be asked to click to continue to the screening PHQ-2. For text message screening cadence, reminder texts will be sent daily for 3 days. Those who screen positive (PHQ-2 >/= 3) will complete the remainder of the items (i.e., PHQ-9). | Behavioural | Text-Based Depression Screening |
| Usual care (UC)Usual care (UC) will consist of in-person assessment of depression using a validated brief screening tool (e.g., PHQ-2) synchronous with a clinical encounter with the outpatient oncology team. Although the person completing the screening (e.g., nurse, medical assistant) and other workflow may vary slightly across settings, the 2-items are generally presented orally to the patient during routine intake for a clinical encounter and entered into the EHR. Patients who screen positive will be asked to complete the full PHQ-9. | Behavioural | Usual Care |
Primary outcome
Study Feasibility
Time frame: 2 weeks after randomization
>/= 1 response to a text message
4 secondary outcomes
Acceptability
Time frame: 2 weeks
Depression screening
Time frame: 2 weeks
PHQ-2 score
Time frame: 2 weeks
PHQ-9 score
Time frame: 2 weeks
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 15 Jul 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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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.
Evan Graboyes, MD, MPH, FACS principal investigator
Medical University of South Carolina
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Text-based depression screening in people with Cancer and Depression Secondary to Other Disease, run by Medical University of South Carolina 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 5 inclusion and 0 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 15 Jul 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?
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?
Study Feasibility (time frame: 2 weeks after randomization). 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 15 Jul 2026.