CClinicalTrials.gg
Status unknownNCT04428710Updated Feb 11, 2021

Assessment Psychological Distress for Cancer Heredity Test

An observational study in Cancer, Psychological Distress and Hereditary Diseases, sponsored by Hospital Universitario La Fe. Status unknown at 1 site in Spain. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 80 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2021-02-11.

Sponsored by Hospital Universitario La Fe · Observational

The sponsor has not verified this record recently (last verified Feb 2021), so the status shown — last known as Active, not recruiting — may be out of date.
Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Cross-sectional
Enrollment
800
Ages
18 Years to 80 Years
Sex
All
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Study summary

The study of hereditary cancer related syndromes allows reducing the risk of suffering in cancer to patients and close relatives. The objective of this study will be to evaluate the prevelance of psychological morbidity in patients attended at cancer genetic counselling unit, and to determine the socio-demographic and clinical factors that influence it.

A descriptive cross-sectional study will be carried out. Patients attented at the cancer genetic counselling unit, who have criteria for conducting a genetic syndrome test related to hererditary cancer, will be consecutively evaluated.

To knowing the psychological morbidity it is relevant to providing care for these patients.

Read the detailed description

Nowadays several familial cancer syndromes that confer a high lifetime risk of cancer can be identified with genetic testing. The psychological impact of genetic testing and the rates of psychological distress in patients undergoing genetic testing vary between 6 to 65% depending on socio-demographic or clinical characteristics.

The effect of baseline distress on post-testing assessments tended to decrease or show little change over time, it may be important to target patients with high baseline distress for additional counseling or intervention both pre-testing and over time.The most robust predictor of future distress is baseline distress, additional factors were associated with cancer risk perception considering family history of cancer, patient's affected or unaffected with cancer, etc...

It is relevant to developing and providing care for these patients, it has been demonstrated that enhanced genetic counseling with clinical psychologist to facilitate decision-making process, managing family concerns promoting their communication with and involvement of family members, and attending their emotional distress, can be beneficial. Also, cancer genetic counseling may promote patient use of personal resources and enhance patient health literacy about their syndrome.

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Conditions studied

  • Cancer
  • Psychological Distress
  • Hereditary Diseases
  • Genetic Counseling
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In context

Genetic Diseases, Inborn

403 studies on the registry are indexed under Genetic Diseases, Inborn; 145 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 800 is above the median of 192 across 195 observational studies indexed under Genetic Diseases, Inborn.

Browse Genetic Diseases, Inborn studies →

Lead sponsor

Hospital Universitario La Fe is the lead sponsor of 37 studies on the registry; 5 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 80 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

Participants were recruited from all consecutive patients referred to the Cancer Genetic Program at the Hospital Universitari i Politècnic la Fe.

Inclusion criteria

  • Age between 18 and 80 years
  • Factors presumed predictive for hereditary cáncer
  • They agreed to participate in the research.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with cognitive impairment
  • Patients with difficulties to read and understand Spanish language.
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Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Cross-sectional
Enrollment
800 participants (actual)
Patient registry
No

Groups and cohorts

  • patients admitted to cancer genetic counseling test

    Participants were recruited from all consecutive patients referred to the Cancer Genetic Program at the Hospital Universitari i Politècnic la Fe.

    Other: assessment with psychometric questionnaire

Interventions

  • Otherassessment with psychometric questionnaire

    At the initial genetic consultation patients are informed about hereditary cancer risk and the genetic testing process. At the second genetic counseling appointment, after patients done tests, all participants were informed about the study purpose, and they signed the informed consent before the psychometric assessment. Those patients who agreed to participate, they were given the questionnaires to fill in. Also, background characteristics were reported including age, marital relationship, level of education, psychiatric antecedents. The time for completion the self-report measures was about 10 minutes. The psychometric assessment was occurred prior to delivering the results of genetic testing.

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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. To determinate the prevalence of psychological distress of patients studied of the different hereditary cancer syndromes attended at Cancer Genetic Counseling Unit

    The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), it is consisting of two subscales with seven items respectively, anxiety (HADS-A) and depression (HADS-D) symptomatology. The questionnaire is used to evaluate psychological distress in non-psychiatric settings. In general medical outpatients the optimal cut-off point for the screening for psychiatric morbidity seems to be 12, for screening depressive symptomatology seems to be 5 score and 8 (range 7-10) for screening anxiety symptomatology. In Spanish population the HADS demonstrated a good internal consistency and optimal psychometric properties.

    Time frame: Data collection for two years

  2. To determinate cáncer worry of patients studied of the different hereditary cancer syndromes attended at Cancer Genetic Counseling Unit

    Cancer Worry Scale. (CWS), consists of the six-item scale measures concerns about developing cancer, and the impact of these concerns on performing daily tasks among patients at risk for hereditary cancer. The questionnaire are rated on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from "never" to "almost always", with a total value ranging from 6 (minimal worry) to 24 (maximum worry). CWS presented good reliability coefficient in Spanish samples at risk for hereditary cancer.

    Time frame: Data collection for two years

  3. To determinate the prevalence of psychological morbidity of patients studied of the different hereditary cancer syndromes attended at Cancer Genetic Counseling Unit

    The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), measures psychological distress, which is consisting of social functioning, somatic symptoms, anxiety/sleep disturbances, and depression. Each item was scored from 0 to 3. Higher scores indicating greater psychological morbidity, with a cutting score of 5/6 to identify psychiatric morbidity. The Spanish version of the GHQ-28 had adequate psychometric properties.

    Time frame: Data collection for two years

Secondary outcomes

  1. Find out differences on psychological distress regarding the hereditary syndrome studied at the cancer genetic counseling.

    Psychometric questionnaire. Hospital Anxiety and Depresion Scale (HADS) , it is consisting of two subscales with seven items respectively, anxiety (HADS-A) and depression (HADS-D) symptomatology. The questionnaire is used to evaluate psychological distress in non-psychiatric settings. The optimal cut-off point for screening psychiatric morbidity seems to be 12, for screening depressive symptomatology seems to be 5 score and 8 (range 7-10) score for screening anxiety symptomatology. In Spanish population the HADS demonstrated a good internal consistency and optimal psychometric properties.

    Time frame: Data collection for two years

  2. Identify differences in cancer worry regarding the hereditary syndrome studied at the cancer genetic counseling.

    Cancer Worry Scale (CWS). this questionnaire consists of the six-item measures concerns about developing cancer and the impact of these concerns on performing daily tasks among patients at risk for hereditary cancer. The questionnaire are rated on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from "never" to "almost always", with a total value ranging from 6 (minimal worry) to 24 (maximum worry). CWS presented good reliability coefficient in Spanish samples at risk for hereditary cancer.

    Time frame: Data collection for two years

  3. Psychometric analysis of the questionnaires used to assess psychological distress and cancer worry

    Impact of Event Scale (IES), is a self-report measure for distress in relation to a stressful life event, which in our study is cancer risk. IES is using 15 items to measures psychological distress on two subscaless, with intrusion (the extent to which patients are overwhelmed by thoughts and feelings about cancer) and avoidance (tendency to avoid thoughts and feelings about cancer). The intrusion subscale has seven items, the avoidance subscale eight items. Each item is scored from 0 to 5. The psychometric properties of IES are good in samples with increased risk for hereditary breast cancer.

    Time frame: Data collection for two years

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Study locations

1 site
  • Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe
    Valencia, 46026, Spain
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References and documents

Publications

  • Costa-Requena G, Garcia-Garijo M, Richart-Aznar P, Segura-Huerta A. Comparison of psychological distress for breast, ovarian and colorectal cancer predisposition in a Spanish sample at high risk of hereditary cancer. Eur J Cancer Prev. 2022 Sep 1;31(5):482-486. doi: 10.1097/CEJ.0000000000000734. Epub 2021 Dec 15. PubMed 36165038 ↗
  • Costa-Requena G, Garcia-Garijo M, Richart-Aznar P, Segura-Huerta A. Psychiatric symptoms in a Spanish sample with hereditary cancer risk. J Community Genet. 2022 Jun;13(3):339-346. doi: 10.1007/s12687-022-00580-5. Epub 2022 Feb 8. PubMed 35133604 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Undecided

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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Feb 11, 2021, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04428710
Lead sponsor
Hospital Universitario La Fe
Responsible party
Gemma Costa Requena (PhD Clinical psychologist, Hospital Universitario La Fe) — Principal investigator
First posted
Jun 11, 2020
Start date
Oct 1, 2018
Primary completion
Dec 31, 2020
Completion
Dec 31, 2021 (estimated)
Last update
Feb 11, 2021

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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