Comprehensive Outcomes for After Cancer Health

Background: There are an estimated 16.9 million cancer survivors in the United States, accounting for approximately 5% of the entire US population, and this number is anticipated to increase by 31% over the next 10 years to include 22.2 million individuals.1 Due to advances in therapy individuals with cancer are experiencing increased overall survival that is often accompanied by the management of cancer as a chronic condition.2 As such many individuals require maintenance therapies that extend for months or years beyond the completion of primary therapy with surgery, radiation, and/or pharmacologic therapies. Chronic management of cancer care may include both long-term maintenance therapy as well as the management of treatment-related sequelae, the majority of which occurs beyond the clinical setting. Supportive care needs include symptom support, general wellness, and a focus on the importance of adherence to treatment and follow-up, all of which may influence quality and quantity of life. Accordingly, there is a critical and growing need for comprehensive, accessible platforms to support survivor self-management of symptoms and general wellness (including physical, functional, and psychosocial well-being and healthcare adherence). There is furthermore a critical knowledge gap on the correlation between individual symptoms and wellness on novel biomarkers, specifically intestinal (gut) microbiome. Gut microbiome regulates critical physiological processes-digestion, mood, and overall immune health, but to date studies have focused on dysbiosis during cancer treatment. The investigators seek to explore dynamics of gut microbiota after cancer treatment and understand how health behavioral changes prompted by health coaching to modulate symptoms and physical/ psychosocial well-being may also positively influence the restoration of gut flora.

Aims: The objective of this randomized, wait-list control study is to assess the effect of a 6-month digital health coaching program in cancer survivors within 1 year of primary treatment and longitudinally measure its impact on multifaceted health outcomes. The investigators aim to: 1) Primarily, assess the feasibility, acceptability, and effect of digital health coaching on participants' health self-efficacy; 2) Secondarily, characterize associations between participant symptoms, physical/psychosocial well-being, and health self-management and gut microbiota changes; and 3) Explore patient-generated health data outcomes among participants (patient-reported [PROs] and wearable biometrics outcomes).

Methods: The proposed study will utilize a randomized-wait list control design to enroll up to1500 individuals with diverse tumor types who have completed primary treatment and are within 1 year of diagnosis. Each of up to 15 collaborating sites will enroll 100 participants. Participants will be enrolled in a 6-month digital health coaching program that combines person-to-person calls once weekly, accompanied by up to 4 digital nudges of evidence-based content via text, email and/or mobile application, based on the participant's preference. Content will focus on key topics designed to optimize survivorship outcomes, including management of late and long-term effects of therapy, diet and exercise, fatigue, financial toxicity, and other associated symptoms (e.g., sleep disturbance, depression), medication adherence, surveillance, and managing anxiety and fear of cancer recurrence. The program emphasizes targeting modifiable behaviors that can improve quality of life and health outcomes, including progression-free and overall survival. Those randomized to the intervention group will receive the 6-month coaching intervention up front followed by 6 months of on-going clinical, patient reported, activity, and microbiome data collection. Those randomized to the control will receive 6-months of clinical, patient reported, activity, and microbiome data collection, after which they will be randomized to the digital health coaching intervention.

Outcome Measures: All participants will be followed for 12-months during which time they will be provided with Fitbit devices to track engagement in physical activity. Microbiome samples will be collected at enrollment and 6 months to explore biomarkers of inflammation, which will be analyzed to examine associations between microbiota signatures and engagement in physical activity and PROs. Genomic bacterial DNA will be extracted and analyzed for any taxonomic changes in the microbiota diversity and composition with 16s rRNA sequencing. Microbiome analysis will be conducted in partnership with The National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR). PROs will be collected at baseline and months 3, 6, 9, and 12 to track progress during and following the program and to provide insights into the experience of quality of life, symptom burden, mental health, cognitive function, sleep quality, sexual health, and financial toxicity.

Rationale: This program seeks to address survivors' total well-being, including co-morbid conditions, psychosocial wellness, and healthy lifestyle behaviors, to enhance outcomes for individuals who have completed primary therapy for a cancer diagnosis. The approach is innovative in exploring how digital health coaching may be used to support the holistic needs of cancer survivors beyond the clinical care setting. The robust collection of patient-reported, wearable, biomarker, and clinical data, as well as qualitative data related to patient priorities, concerns and challenges in the context of Health Coaching, will allow for triangulation of data to comprehensively inform the experience of individuals following primary therapy as they manage their health in the community setting.