This clinical trial studies the use of the financial impact assessment tool in patients with colorectal cancer that has spread from the primary site to other places in the body. Gathering information about patients with colorectal cancer over time may help doctors better understand the financial impact of cancer and help patients avoid financial problems during treatment.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To estimate the incidence of treatment-related major financial hardship over 12 months, among patients with newly diagnosed metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) treated at components and subcomponents of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP). SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To describe the association of major financial hardships with mCRC treatment by demographic factors, including age, race, marital status, employment status, and income. II. To explore whether occurrence of major financial hardship is associated with poorer health-related quality of life over time. III. To profile the magnitude and timing of treatment-related changes in patients' income, assets, debt, and employment, and to quantify major out-of-pocket expenses during the 12 months following registration. IV. To explore the extent to which health insurance factors (e.g. high copayments, deductibles, premiums, loss/change of insurance plan) are associated with major financial hardship and treatment non-adherence. V. To determine feasibility of recruiting primary caregivers and measuring caregiver burden and caregivers' perceptions about cancer treatment costs. VI. To determine the feasibility of conducting a prospective-multi-site longitudinal cohort study assessing financial outcomes in patients with mCRC undergoing treatment within the NCORP network. TERTIARY OBJECTIVES: I. To obtain objective measures of expenses, debt and credit through linkage with individual patient credit reports (TransUnion) at enrollment (baseline) and end of follow up (12 months). OUTLINE: Patients complete questionnaires (including the Baseline, Financial/Employment Impact, Insurance Impact, Quality of Life, and Treatment Perceptions questionnaires) over 30-60 minutes at baseline and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Caregivers complete questionnaires over 30-60 minutes at baseline and at 6 and 12 months.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
380
Complete questionnaire
Complete questionnaires
Cumulative Incidence Rate of Treatment-related Major Financial Hardship
The cumulative incidence estimates of participants experiencing both major financial hardship (MFH) and multiple financial hardships will be reported. This estimate is calculated over a 12 month period; due to participant drop out throughout this period, the calculated cumulative incidence for the participants analyzed at the 12 month mark does not equate to a whole number. A major financial hardship is defined as one or more of the following: debt accumulation of any amount, selling or refinancing home, \>= 20% income decline, borrowing money of any amount from family/friends.
Time frame: Up to 12 months
Association of Age and Cumulative Incidence Rate of Major Financial Hardship
The cumulative incidence estimates of participants experiencing MFH within age groups. This estimate is calculated over a 12 month period; due to participant drop out throughout this period, the calculated cumulative incidence for the participants analyzed at the 12 month mark does not equate to a whole number. This is used to assess whether major financial hardship at one year differs by age (\< 65 vs. \>= 65). Age is taken at baseline.
Time frame: Up to 12 months
Association of Race and Cumulative Incidence Rate of Major Financial Hardship
The cumulative incidence estimates of participants experiencing MFH within racial groups. This estimate is calculated over a 12 month period; due to participant drop out throughout this period, the calculated cumulative incidence for the participants analyzed at the 12 month mark does not equate to a whole number. This is used to assess whether major financial hardship at one year differs by race (white vs. non-white).
Time frame: Up to 12 months
Association of Marital Status and Cumulative Incidence Rate of Major Financial Hardship
The cumulative percentage of participants experiencing MFH within marital status groups. This is used to assess whether major financial hardship at one year differs by age (married vs. unmarried). Marital status is taken at baseline.
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Time frame: Up to 12 months
Association of Employment Status and Cumulative Incidence Rate of Major Financial Hardship
The cumulative incidence estimates of participants experiencing MFH within different employment status groups. This estimate is calculated over a 12 month period; due to participant drop out throughout this period, the calculated cumulative incidence for the participants analyzed at the 12 month mark does not equate to a whole number. This is used to assess whether major financial hardship at one year differs by pre-diagnosis employment status (any employment vs. unemployed). Employment status is taken at baseline.
Time frame: Up to 12 months
Association of Income and Cumulative Incidence Rate of Major Financial Hardship
The cumulative incidence estimates of participants experiencing MFH within income groups. This estimate is calculated over a 12 month period; due to participant drop out throughout this period, the calculated cumulative incidence for the participants analyzed at the 12 month mark does not equate to a whole number. This is used to assess whether major financial hardship at one year differs by household income (\<$50,000 vs. \>=$50,000 and \<$100,000 vs. \>=$100,000). Household income is taken at baseline.
Time frame: Up to 12 months
Health-related Quality of Life (HRQOL) as Measured by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) Version 3.0
The relationship between major financial hardship and HRQOL will be assessed. Landmark analysis will be used to establish major financial hardship as a baseline predictor of HRQOL. In particular, patients will be categorized as having major financial hardship at their 3 month assessment (yes vs. no). Linear regression will then be used to assess whether the 3-month assessment of financial hardship predicts the 6-month HRQOL score. HRQOL at 3 months will be included as an adjustment covariate. The 6-month HRQOL score will be based on the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire transformed into a linear sco
Time frame: Up to 12 months
Changes in Assets/Income/Wealth
Will be handled using descriptive statistics (e.g. mean, median, proportions). Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize baseline patient characteristics and will compare populations using two-sample means and proportions tests (alpha level 0.05). Caregiver strain index will be scored based on responses (score range 0 to 26). Mean scores will be compared for caregivers of patients reporting vs. not reporting at least one financial hardship.
Time frame: Baseline to up to 12 months
Out-of-pocket Expenses, Defined as Total Out-of-pocket Direct Medical (e.g., Prescriptions, Physician Visits, Deductibles) and Non-medical (Transportation, Meals) Expenses in the 3 Months Prior to Each Study Visit
Will be handled using descriptive statistics (e.g. mean, median, proportions). Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize baseline patient characteristics and will compare populations using two-sample means and proportions tests (alpha level 0.05). Caregiver strain index will be scored based on responses (score range 0 to 26). Mean scores will be compared for caregivers of patients reporting vs. not reporting at least one financial hardship.
Time frame: Up to 12 months
Changes in Health Insurance
Will be handled using descriptive statistics (e.g. mean, median, proportions). Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize baseline patient characteristics and will compare populations using two-sample means and proportions tests (alpha level 0.05). Caregiver strain index will be scored based on responses (score range 0 to 26). Mean scores will be compared for caregivers of patients reporting vs. not reporting at least one financial hardship.
Time frame: Baseline to up to 12 months
Caregiver Participation
The caregiver component will be considered feasible if the designated caregivers for \> 50% of eligible patients complete and submit their baseline and at least one follow-up assessment. Means, medians, and proportions will be used to describe the participating caregiver population. Analyses will be largely descriptive. If caregiver accrual is very poor (\< 20%), describing the patient population will be the focus rather than attempting to correlate caregiver and patient responses.
Time frame: Up to 12 months
Accrual to a Prospective-multi-site Longitudinal Cohort Study
Each of the NCORP components (we anticipate 25 NCORP components) will each need to enroll, on average, about 5 patients per year. Accrual will be assessed at 1.5 years after study activation. If monthly average accrual in quarters 5-6 after study registration is \< 50% of projected accrual, efforts will be made to increase accrual over the succeeding 6 month period. If after 2 years, monthly accrual remains \< 50% of projected accrual, study revision will be considered. In order to address the potential for selection bias, demographics (age, race, gender, etc.) of the final cohort will be compared
Time frame: Up to 3 years
Debt and Spending by Credit Report Histories
Credit histories obtained from TransUnion measure the following: non-mortgage amounts past due on credit cards and bankcards; non-mortgage credit card and bankcard balances; bankruptcies, liens, collections or repossessions. Will be handled using descriptive statistics (e.g. mean, median, proportions). Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize baseline patient characteristics and will compare populations using two-sample means and proportions tests (alpha level 0.05). Caregiver strain index will be scored based on responses (score range 0 to 26). Mean scores will be compared.
Time frame: Up to 12 months
Credit History (TransUnion)
The linkage of SWOG clinical and financial data with credit histories obtained from TransUnion will allow exploration of additional indicators of financial stress, including high balances and past due amounts of credit card and bankcards as well as evidence of bankruptcies, liens, and collections or repossessions in the preceding 36 months (TransUnion Inc. 'Credit Vision' report). This linked database will also provide a more complete picture of patients' pre-diagnosis financial status and post-diagnosis financial hardship. These data will also allow corroboration of self-reports.
Time frame: Up to 12 months
Financial Stress (Patient, Caregiver, or Bereaved Caregiver)
Will be handled using descriptive statistics (e.g. mean, median, proportions). Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize baseline patient characteristics and will compare populations using two-sample means and proportions tests (alpha level 0.05). Caregiver strain index will be scored based on responses (score range 0 to 26). Mean scores will be compared for caregivers of patients reporting vs. not reporting at least one financial hardship.
Time frame: Up to 12 months