Providing financial support to advanced cancer patients
Guaranteed Income and Financial Treatment Trial
This study is testing if giving advanced cancer patients $1000 a month for a year can help ease their financial struggles and improve their quality of life.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 250 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | University of Pennsylvania Academic / other |
| Drugs / interventions | chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation |
| Locations | 3 sites (Philadelphia, New York and 2 other locations) |
| Trial ID | NCT06611982 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This clinical trial aims to determine if giving advanced cancer patients $1000 per month for 12 months can alleviate financial hardship and improve their quality of life and survival outcomes. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either the cash support or standard treatment while completing surveys every three months to assess their financial and health-related experiences. The study focuses on the impact of unconditional cash transfers on financial toxicity, treatment adherence, and overall well-being in low-income cancer patients. It will involve 250 Medicaid beneficiaries from two comprehensive cancer centers in Philadelphia.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults aged 18 or older with newly diagnosed or recurrent advanced cancer who are Medicaid beneficiaries and receiving chemotherapy or immunotherapy.
Not a fit: Patients who are eligible for hospice care or unable to communicate in English, Spanish, or Mandarin may not benefit from this study.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this intervention could significantly improve the quality of life and survival rates for advanced cancer patients facing financial hardships.
How similar studies have performed: While unconditional cash transfers have shown positive health effects in low-income populations, this specific approach has not yet been tested in cancer patients.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Age = 18 or older 2. Newly diagnosed or recurrent advanced cancer (Stage 3 or 4) 3. Receiving chemotherapy or immunotherapy (with or without radiation) at one of the recruitment sites 4. Within 12 months of receiving systemic therapy and on surveillance at one of the recruitment sites 5. ECOG performance status of 1 - 2 6. A Pennsylvania Medicaid beneficiary 7. A Pennsylvania resident Exclusion Criteria: 1. Eligible for hospice (i.e. determined by provider to have a prognosis of 6 months or less) at time of randomization 2. Unable to communicate in English, Spanish, or Mandarin
Where this trial is running
Philadelphia, New York and 2 other locations
- Pennsylvania Hospital — Philadelphia, New York, United States (Recruiting)
- Penn Presbyterian Medical Center — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States (Recruiting)
- Jefferson Health — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Meredith Doherty — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Meredith Doherty, PhD
- Email: mdohert@upenn.edu
- Phone: 215.573.1169
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.