An interventional study of Dyadic Life Review in Cancer, sponsored by University of Rochester. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 50 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-11-12.
Sponsored by University of Rochester · Not applicable, Interventional, and Supportive care
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of Dyadic Life Review (DLR) therapy for reducing caregiver distress, measured by caregiver burden to capture the multifaceted experience of distress, among older adults with advanced cancer and cognitive impairment and their caregivers.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of Dyadic Life Review (DLR) therapy for reducing caregiver distress, measured by caregiver burden to capture the multifaceted experience of distress, among older adults with advanced cancer and cognitive impairment and their caregivers. This randomized controlled trial will enroll dyads and compare DLR to a waitlist control condition in which participants receive usual care and are offered DLR following completion of study procedures. In addition to examining the effects of DLR on caregiver burden, the study will explore whether DLR improves dyadic coping and relationship quality within the patient-caregiver relationship and identify patient and caregiver characteristics associated with greater intervention benefit. Findings from this study will provide preliminary evidence regarding the efficacy of DLR and inform future intervention development and implementation for older adults with cancer and cognitive impairment and their caregivers.
10,822 studies on the registry are indexed under Neoplasms; 2,324 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 120 is above the median of 60 across 7,704 interventional studies indexed under Neoplasms.
Browse Neoplasms studies →University of Rochester is the lead sponsor of 729 studies on the registry; 116 are open to participants now.
Of its 56 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 44 (79%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Inclusion Criteria:
Caregiver Inclusion Criteria:
Patient Exclusion Criteria:
Caregiver Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Short tests of memory and thinking, each scored out of 30. Lower scores suggest more difficulty; criteria give a range, either to include people with memory problems or to leave them out.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
MMSE and MoCA
Short tests of memory and thinking, each scored out of 30. Lower scores suggest more difficulty; criteria give a range, either to include people with memory problems or to leave them out.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
The Dyadic Life Review Arm (DLR) consists of 8 sessions delivered by a trained licensed clinician. Each session facilitates a recall of each phase of life. The patient and caregiver will each be asked structured questions to prompt reminiscence of memories from that phase of life. Interventionists are able to use clinical judgment to prompt further or ask follow-up questions or reflections. Additionally, the patient and caregiver will be asked to respond to the other dyad member's memory or reflection. Each session will have flexibility for clinical judgement.
Behavioral: Dyadic Life Review
The Care-As-Usual (CAU) arm will follow current practices for responding to patient distress. The CAU for patients involves a supportive follow-up phone call from the social work team to further assess the patient's experience of distress. In some instances, the social worker will use their clinical judgement to further refer the patient to community resources to support distress. The number of phone calls and any subsequent community referrals or appointments related to distress that occur will be tracked.
DLR is an intervention that will promote relationship closeness, communication, and psychological distress in both older adults and caregivers.
Change From Baseline in Montgomery Borgatta Caregiver Burden Scale Subjective Stress Burden Score at Week 18
The subjective stress burden domain of the Montgomery Borgatta Caregiver Burden Scale assesses stress experienced by the caregiver in relation to caregiving. Scores range from 4 to 20, with higher scores indicating greater burden.
Time frame: Baseline and 18 weeks
2. Change From Baseline in Montgomery Borgatta Caregiver Burden Scale Subjective Demand Burden Score at Week 18
The subjective demand burden domain of the Montgomery Borgatta Caregiver Burden Scale assesses the caregiver's perceived demands associated with caregiving. Scores range from 4 to 20, with higher scores indicating greater burden.
Time frame: Baseline and 18 weeks
Change From Baseline in Montgomery Borgatta Caregiver Burden Scale Objective Burden Score at Week 18
The Montgomery Borgatta Caregiver Burden Scale is a 14 item self report measure of caregiver burden. The objective burden domain assesses the impact of caregiving activities on the caregiver. Scores range from 0 to 30, with higher scores indicating greater burden.
Time frame: Baseline and 18 weeks
Change From Baseline in Unidimensional Relationship Closeness Scale Score at Week 18
The Unidimensional Relationship Closeness Scale is a 12 item self report measure assessing relationship closeness between the participant and family member. Each item is rated on a 7 point Likert scale. Total scores range from 12 to 84, with higher scores indicating greater relationship closeness.
Time frame: Baseline and 18 weeks
Change From Baseline in Dyadic Adjustment Scale Score at Week 18
The Dyadic Adjustment Scale is a 7 item self report measure assessing dyadic relationship quality and adjustment. Scores range from 0 to 36, with higher scores indicating greater relationship adjustment.
Time frame: Baseline and 18 weeks
Start is estimated for Dec 2026; primary completion for Feb 2030, 38 months later.
Of 1,983 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Neoplasms, half reached primary completion within 29 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 13 and three quarters within 52. This study's planned 38 months is above that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 2,058 studies reached it within 29 months; a quarter within 13 and three quarters within 52.
Neoplasms covers many different conditions, not one, so the studies compared here vary widely. Read these figures as a rough guide.
Start moved once since we started tracking on Sep 25, 2026: Oct 2026 → Dec 2026, on Nov 12, 2026.
Earlier changes are on the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Nov 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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