LiveWell: a tailored DBT skills program for people living with metastatic lung cancer
Official title: LiveWell: An Adapted Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Skills Training Protocol for Patients Living With Metastatic Lung Cancer
Run by Medical University of South Carolina · NCT07177846 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This pilot randomized trial tests a telehealth DBT skills program called LiveWell for adults with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer and distress to see if it reduces distress and improves well-being compared to usual care.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 80 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Medical University of South Carolina Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Charleston, South Carolina) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | October 15, 2026 |
| Main results expected | October 1, 2027 |
| Study ends | March 1, 2028 |
| Registry record updated | October 7, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07177846 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults 18 or older with AJCC stage IV NSCLC, receiving non-curative treatment or active surveillance, English-speaking, with distress (score ≥3/10) and at least one emotional concern, able to consent.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with very limited life expectancy, cognitive impairment, untreated serious mental illness, or those unable to participate in telehealth may not benefit.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This pilot randomized controlled trial enrolls 80 adults with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer and at least mild distress. Participants are randomized 1:1 to receive an eight-session telehealth-delivered LiveWell Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training program tailored for lung cancer metavivors or usual care. Outcomes include feasibility and acceptability, with preliminary efficacy on distress (primary) and quality of life, symptom burden, and psychological well-being (secondary), assessed at baseline, 9 weeks, and 3 months. The study also explores emotion regulation as a potential mechanism of change. The intervention is delivered remotely to accommodate treatment schedules and disease burden.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, LiveWell could reduce emotional distress and improve quality of life for patients with advanced lung cancer.
How similar studies have gone: DBT-based psychosocial interventions have shown promise in oncology settings, but this specific adapted, telehealth DBT for metastatic lung cancer is exploratory.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Age ≥ 18 * AJCC Stage IV non-small cell lung cancer * Receiving treatment with non-curative intent or on active surveillance * English proficiency * Able to provide informed consent * National Comprehensive Cancer Network distress screening score ≥ 3/10 plus endorse at least 1 emotional concern. Exclusion Criteria: * Cognitive impairment * Untreated serious mental illness * Expected survival \< 6 months
Where it's running
-
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Kelly Hyland, PhD — Medical University of South Carolina
- Study coordinator: Benjamin Axelrod
- Email: axelrod@musc.edu
- Phone: 843-876-2645
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.