An interventional study of Nurse-led Geriatric Assessment in Colo-rectal Cancer, sponsored by Helse Stavanger HF. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in Norway. Open to participants aged 70 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-14.
Sponsored by Helse Stavanger HF · Not applicable, Interventional, and Health services research
Older colorectal cancer patients frequently present with frailty, comorbidity, and other age-related vulnerabilities that may affect treatment tolerance and outcomes. Geriatric assessment is recommended for older adults with cancer but remains underutilized. The NURSE-GA study aims to evaluate the feasibility of a nurse-led geriatric assessment intervention prior to treatment decision-making for patients aged 70 years and older who are newly diagnosed with colorectal cancer and have a Clinical Frailty Scale score of 4 or higher. Trained nurses will perform structured geriatric assessments and identify optimization needs and referral needs. The study will evaluate intervention delivery, patient satisfaction, clinical outcomes, usability among multidisciplinary team members, self-efficacy among nurses, and recruitment and retention rates.
Older adults with colorectal cancer represent a clinically heterogeneous population with varying levels of frailty, comorbidity, functional reserve, and treatment tolerance. Standard treatment decision-making often relies on performance status assessments that may not identify vulnerabilities relevant to treatment outcomes. Geriatric assessment is recommended in geriatric oncology to identify age-related health issues and support individualized treatment planning; however, implementation in routine clinical practice remains limited.
The NURSE-GA study evaluates the feasibility of integrating a structured nurse-led geriatric assessment into the preoperative colorectal cancer pathway. The intervention has been developed through a scoping review, expert consensus processes, and stakeholder involvement to support implementation in routine oncology practice.
The intervention is delivered by specially trained nurses and includes systematic assessment of health domains relevant to treatment tolerance among older adults. Assessment findings are used to identify optimization needs and referral requirements when indicated.
The study uses a mixed-methods feasibility design conducted in a surgical oncology outpatient setting. Quantitative and qualitative data will be collected to evaluate intervention delivery, study procedures, patient satisfaction, acceptability among healthcare professionals, and the feasibility of conducting a future larger-scale study.
1,485 studies on the registry are indexed under Colonic Neoplasms; 362 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 50 is below the median of 89 across 1,067 interventional studies indexed under Colonic Neoplasms.
Browse Colonic Neoplasms studies →Helse Stavanger HF is the lead sponsor of 97 studies on the registry; 18 are open to participants now.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Participants aged 70 years and older with newly diagnosed colorectal cancer and a Clinical Frailty Scale score of 4 or higher and thus considered to require further assessment prior to treatment decision-making will receive the NURSE-GA intervention. The intervention consists of a structured nurse-led geriatric assessment performed before cancer treatment decisions are finalized.
Behavioral: Nurse-led Geriatric Assessment
Patients are routinely screened using the Clinical Frailty Scale in the clinical cancer pathway. Patients identified as potentially frail are offered a structured nurse-led geriatric assessment delivered by trained nurses. The intervention includes a multidimensional geriatric assessment covering patient preferences, functional status, nutrition, cognition, psychological health, social support, and medication. In addition, the nurse identifies patient needs, and optimization measures may be initiated and referrals made to relevant healthcare professionals, including physiotherapists, dietitians, geriatricians, or other physicians. A summary report is provided to the multidisciplinary team before treatment decision-making.
Nurse self-efficacy assessed through qualitative interviews
Nurses' self-efficacy will be explored through semi-structured qualitative interviews focusing on confidence in conducting geriatric assessments, interpreting assessment findings, communicating results, and integrating geriatric assessment into oncology care. Interview transcripts will be analyzed using qualitative content analysis. This qualitative outcome measure does not produce a numerical score; therefore, no minimum or maximum values apply.
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 year
Intervention usability among healthcare professionals assessed through semi-structured interviews
Participating healthcare professionals will be interviewed regarding their experiences with the intervention, including usability, acceptability, feasibility, and perceived value. Interview transcripts will be analyzed using qualitative content analysis. No quantitative scale or numerical score will be used.
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 year.
Constructive support from health professionals
Constructive Support from Health Professionals is an 11-item scale that assesses individuals' perceptions of support received from health care professionals, including doctors, nurses, and other health care personnel. Responses are recorded on a five-point Likert scale ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Higher scores indicate greater perceived support from health care providers.
Time frame: Approxematly 1 month after hospital discharge
Status of Geriatric Assessment in newly diagnosed elderly colorectal cancer patients
Description of the geriatric assessment status of the target population. Baseline geriatric assessment will be conducted by trained nurses and will include assessment of frailty (Clinical Frailty Scale), functional status (Activities of Daily Living and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living), nutritional status (Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form), cognitive function (Mini-Cog), psychological health (Geriatric Depression Scale), sensory function (hearing and vision assessed through observation and open-ended questions), mobility (4-meter gait speed and open-ended questions regarding mobility), social support (open-ended questions), and self-reported health-related quality of life. Standardized training in geriatric assessment procedures will be provided to all participating nurses prior to study initiation.
Time frame: Baseline
Referrals to non-oncology interventions
Referrals to other healthcare professionals
Time frame: Baseline
Plan to share: No
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Start is estimated for Sep 2026; primary completion for Dec 2027, 15 months later.
Of 290 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Colonic Neoplasms, half reached primary completion within 32 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 18 and three quarters within 60. This study's planned 15 months is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 300 studies reached it within 32 months; a quarter within 18 and three quarters within 55.
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 Oct 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Helse Stavanger HF