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Developing a communication support intervention for cancer caregivers in emerging and young adulthood

Award Number: R00CA279651
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 06/01/2024
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 05/31/2028

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Developing a communication support intervention for cancer caregivers in emerging and young adulthood - Project Summary Caregivers in emerging and young adulthood account for nearly half of all caregivers in the United States; however, they are significantly underrepresented in cancer caregiving scholarship. Little is known about their unique psychosocial needs, and there is a dearth of cancer caregiving resources to support them. Emerging and young adult caregivers (EYACs, ages 18-35) are a particularly vulnerable caregiving population. They experience higher rates of psychological distress than their older counterparts, as well as lasting impacts to their developmental trajectory as a result of their caregiving experience. Caregiving at this age is particularly challenging when an EYAC must provide care to a parent with cancer, as they must undergo a distressing relational shift = that creates psychological and communication challenges unique to this patient-caregiver dyad. Diagnosed parents are known to withhold information about their cancer from their adult children, which creates further difficulties for EYACs in communicating and coping with their parents. Open family communication during cancer has been linked to better social, psychological, and physical health outcomes for both caregivers and patients. Thus, there is a significant need for a communication skills intervention directed at EYACs of their parents with cancer to help them navigate the interpersonal challenges associated with their caregiving role that can lead to distress. The goal of this project is to identify the complex communication needs unique to this age group and adapt an existing caregiver communication skills training intervention (Healthy Communication Practice, HCP) to meet their age-specific communication needs. The K99 phase of this project will include two aims: 1) identify EYACs’ unmet communication skill needs via online survey, and 2) use the survey findings to adapt the intervention materials and pre-test them in EYAC focus groups. The R00 phase of the project will pilot test the new EYAC-tailored intervention for feasibility and acceptability. The objective of this application will not only create the first communication support intervention specifically designed for EYACs, but it will also equip Dr. Kastrinos with the necessary skills and training to complete the proposed research and transition to research independence. She will advance her training in four key areas: 1) psychosocial intervention development and adaption in cancer caregiving, 2) advanced mixed-method and quantitative design and analysis, 3) designing and conducting RCTs, and 4) professional skills development. She will complete both her training and the proposed research with the full support of her mentors (Drs. Allison Applebaum, Smita Banerjee, Yuelin Li), her collaborators (Drs. Carma L. Bylund and Carla L. Fishers) who are the creators of HCP, and her advisory board (Drs. Kathryn Greene and Youngmee Kim). At the end of her R00 phase, Dr. Kastrinos will submit an R01 application to test the efficacy of the new intervention in a fully powered randomized controlled trial. This K99/R00 plan will enable Dr. Kastrinos to achieve her goal of filling a critical research and resource gap for EYACs and launch a research program addressing their needs.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $131,015 )
2026	2026	THE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA	179 ASHLEY AVE	CHARLESTON	SC	29425	CHARLESTON	USA	Cancer Cause and Prevention Research	000	4	5/19/2026	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$131,015
														Subtotal = $131,015

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $247,371 )
2025	2025	THE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA	179 ASHLEY AVE	CHARLESTON	SC	29425	CHARLESTON	USA	Cancer Cause and Prevention Research	000	3	6/17/2025	EXTENSION WITH OR WITHOUT FUNDS	$247,371
														Subtotal = $247,371

Grand Total All Awards = $378,386

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Developing a communication support intervention for cancer caregivers in emerging and young adulthood

Award Number: R00CA279651

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 06/01/2024

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 05/31/2028

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