Couple-Based Mind-Body Program for Lung Cancer Patients and their Partners

该K 01申请将为申请人Milbury博士提供受保护的时间，资源和培训，以帮助她过渡到癌症预防和控制领域的独立研究人员的角色。米尔伯里博士的主要研究兴趣集中在癌症患者及其配偶/伴侣如何共同科普与癌症诊断和治疗相关的身体和心理后遗症。很少有人知道一对夫妇为基础的方法来提高生活质量（QOL）。一个身心程序（例如，瑜伽，太极），使用夫妇为基础的方法可能是特别有效的，在减少心理和生理症状的负担，肺癌患者和他们的合作伙伴。因此，米尔伯里博士的职业目标与公共卫生和国家补充和替代医学中心（NCCAM）的范围有关，因为这项调查将研究身心干预在改善癌症患者及其伴侣健康方面的作用。为了帮助米尔伯里博士成为一名独立的研究人员，我们提出了一项计划，将提供培训和研究经验的指导下建立，独立的科学家。培训将集中在三个领域：1）补充和整合医学（CIM）; 2）随机对照试验（RCT）; 3）生物测量和机制。对于每个领域，申请人将完成正式的课程和其他教育计划，接受实践培训并发表研究成果。研究经验将包括完成一个项目，解决两个具体目标：1）开发和测试基于夫妇的身心（CBMB）计划的可接受性和2）建立CBMB计划的可行性和初步疗效对接受放射治疗的肺癌患者及其伴侣的主观和客观健康措施。该项目不仅代表了管理肺癌患者及其伴侣生活质量的重要一步，也是推进身心医学科学的重要一步。为了实现这些目标，我们将首先进行形成性研究，包括定量和定性方法，评估18对夫妇进行三种不同身心练习（哈他瑜伽、西藏瑜伽和太极）的体验，以选择最合适的练习作为基础CBMB计划。我们将根据这些发现开发CBMB计划的内容，然后实施CBMB计划的试点RCT，以检查主观（例如，自我报告）和客观健康结果（例如，生物学评估，肺功能测试）在50对夫妇应对肺癌及其治疗。米尔伯里博士将使用获得的试点数据，以通知她的申请，为未来的赠款 这将正式测试CBMB计划的有效性。本申请中提出的培训和研究活动将帮助她成为一名能够获得此类补助金支持的独立研究人员。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This K01 application will provide the applicant, Dr. Milbury, with protected time, resources, and training to help her transition into the role of an independent researcher in the field of cancer prevention and control. Dr. Milbury's primary research interest focuses on how cancer patients and their spouses/partners cope together with the debilitating physical and psychological sequelae associated with the cancer diagnosis and treatment. Little is known about a couple-based approach to improving quality of life (QOL). A mind-body program (e.g., yoga, tai chi) that uses a couple-based approach may be particularly effective in reducing psychological and physiological symptom burden in lung cancer patients and their partners. Thus, Dr. Milbury's career goal is relevant to public health and to the scope of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) because this investigation will examine the role a mind-body intervention in improving the health of cancer patients and their partners using a scientifically rigorous, multi-method assessment strategy. To help Dr. Milbury become an independent researcher, we propose a plan that will provide training and research experience under the mentorship of established, independent scientists. Training will focus on three areas: 1) complimentary and integrative medicine (CIM); 2) randomized controlled trials (RCTs); and 3) biological measurement and mechanisms. With respect to each of these areas, the applicant will complete formal coursework and other educational programs, receive hands-on training and publish research findings. Research experience will include the completion of a project that addresses two Specific Aims: 1) to develop and test the acceptability of a couple-based mind-body (CBMB) program and 2) to establish feasibility and initial efficacy of the CBMB program on subjective and objective measures of health in lung cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy and their partners. This project does not only represent a major step towards managing QOL in lung cancer patients and their partners but also towards advancing the science of mind-body medicine. To achieve these Aims, we will first conduct formative research including quantitative and qualitative methods to evaluate the experiences of 18 couples with three different mind-body practices (Hatha Yoga, Tibetan Yoga and Tai Chi) to select the most appropriate practice as the foundation of the CBMB program. We will develop content of the CBMB program based on these findings and then implement a pilot RCT of the CBMB program to examine subjective (e.g., self-report) and objective health outcomes (e.g., biological assessments, pulmonary function tests) in 50 couples coping with lung cancer and its treatment. Dr. Milbury will use the obtained pilot data to inform her applications for future grant support that will formally test the efficacy of the CBMB program. The training and research activities proposed in this application will help her become an independent researcher capable of obtaining such grant support.