Patient Outcomes of a Self-care Management Approach to Cancer Symptoms: A Clinical Trial

We propose to test a brief, effective intervention with outpatients in a cancer center, with the goal of teaching patients symptom management skills for self-identified symptoms of highest priority to patients. The proposed randomized clinical trial will test the efficacy of the COPE intervention with patients with symptoms of moderate to high intensity, distress, frequency or interference with their lives as a result of their cancer.

The attention control group will receive supportive visits from the research team at the cancer center and subsequent meetings during clinic visits plus 2 subsequent supportive telephone calls