Defining the Role of Palliative Care for Patients With Hematologic Malignancies Undergoing Adoptive Cellular Therapy: The PEACE Study

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating whether a palliative care intervention called PEACE can improve the quality of life and experiences of adults with hematologic malignancies such as lymphoma, leukemia, or multiple myeloma who are receiving adoptive cellular therapy (ACT). This study involves a randomized controlled design following an initial open pilot phase. The goal is to understand if adding this specialized palliative care improves outcomes compared to usual oncology care. Around 90 participants are expected to take part, with the study lasting up to two years. Participants first join an open pilot where 10 individuals receive the PEACE palliative care intervention throughout their treatment. After refining the approach, about 80 participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: one receiving the PEACE palliative care plus usual oncology care, and the other receiving standard oncology care alone. The PEACE intervention involves regular meetings with palliative care clinicians starting within one week of T-cell collection and frequent follow-ups during hospitalization and for up to one year post-randomization. During the study, participants will attend scheduled assessments, which can be completed remotely or on paper, to monitor various outcomes. These include quality of life, anxiety, depression, PTSD symptoms, physical symptom burden, coping, prognostic understanding, and communication about end-of-life care. Safety and feasibility will also be tracked, with some participants completing exit interviews in the pilot phase. The study is supported by the American Society of Clinical Oncology and conducted at a single center.

Defining the Role of Palliative carE for Patients With Hematologic Malignancies Undergoing Adoptive CEllular Therapy