An interventional study of Early Integrated Palliative Care in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT), sponsored by Lisa Hentsch. Recruiting at 1 site in Switzerland. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-26.
Sponsored by Lisa Hentsch · Not applicable, Interventional, and Supportive care
People who receive an allogeneic stem cell transplant often face important physical and emotional challenges during their recovery. Even after leaving the hospital, they may experience symptoms such as fatigue, pain, anxiety, uncertainty, or difficulties returning to their usual daily activities. Family caregivers may also experience a considerable burden during this period.
Palliative care is specialized supportive care aimed at improving quality of life for people facing serious illness. It focuses on helping patients and families manage symptoms, cope with emotional and practical challenges, and receive care that is aligned with their needs and priorities. While palliative care is increasingly integrated into cancer care, it is not routinely offered to all patients recovering from stem cell transplantation.
The COMPAS study aims to determine whether it is feasible and acceptable to systematically offer palliative care consultations to patients after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Participants will receive supportive consultations with a palliative care physician in addition to their usual transplant follow-up care.
The study will evaluate whether patients are willing to participate, whether the consultations can be delivered as planned, and how patients and caregivers perceive this approach. Participants and caregivers will also be invited to complete questionnaires and some may take part in interviews about their experience.
The results of this study will help determine whether a larger future study should be conducted and may contribute to improving supportive care for people recovering from stem cell transplantation.
Allogeneic stem cell transplantation is a potentially curative treatment for patients with blood cancers and other serious blood disorders. Although many patients benefit from transplantation, the recovery period can be challenging. After hospital discharge, patients may experience a range of physical symptoms, emotional difficulties, and practical concerns that can affect their quality of life and daily functioning. Family members and other caregivers may also experience significant stress and burden during this period.
Palliative care is specialized care that aims to improve quality of life for people living with serious illness and for those close to them. It focuses on the prevention and relief of suffering and addresses physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs. Palliative care can be provided alongside treatments intended to cure or control disease and is increasingly recognized as an important component of comprehensive cancer care.
Despite the potential benefits of palliative care, its integration into the care of patients undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplantation remains limited. In many centers, access to palliative care depends on an individual referral and may occur only when significant problems arise. As a result, some patients may not receive supportive care services that could help them during recovery.
The COMPAS study was developed to explore a more systematic approach to supportive care after transplantation. The study will evaluate whether routinely offering palliative care consultations after hospital discharge is feasible and acceptable for patients and caregivers. It will also provide important information on how such an approach can be integrated into routine clinical practice.
In addition to assessing feasibility and acceptability, the study will generate preliminary data on patients' and caregivers' experiences during the post-transplant period. Understanding these experiences is essential for developing supportive care programs that respond to patients' needs and priorities.
The knowledge gained from this study will help inform the design of future larger studies and may contribute to improving the organization of care for patients recovering from allogeneic stem cell transplantation and for the family members who support them.
1,496 studies on the registry are indexed under Hematologic Neoplasms; 438 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 42 is close to the median of 45 across 1,090 interventional studies indexed under Hematologic Neoplasms.
Browse Hematologic Neoplasms studies →This is the only study on the registry with Lisa Hentsch as lead sponsor.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Participants receive structured outpatient palliative care consultations in addition to standard post-transplant care.
Behavioral: Early Integrated Palliative Care
Structured outpatient palliative care consultations provided in addition to standard post-transplant follow-up care after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
Recruitement rate
Proportion of eligible patients who consent to participate in the study
Time frame: Up to 24 months
Retention Rate
Proportion of enrolled participants who complete the three planned palliative care consultations and the 3-month follow-up assessment.
Time frame: 3 months after hospital discharge
Acceptability of Early Integrated Palliative Care
Acceptability of the intervention as reported by participants through a study-specific acceptability questionnaire.
Time frame: 3 months after hospital discharge
Plan to share: Undecided
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
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 ↗
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