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

描述(由申请者提供)：这份K01申请书将为申请者米尔伯里博士提供受保护的时间、资源和培训，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/伴侣如何应对与癌症诊断和治疗相关的令人衰弱的身体和心理后遗症。关于一种基于夫妇的方法来提高生活质量(QOL)，人们知之甚少。在减轻肺癌患者及其伴侣的心理和生理症状负担方面，采用以夫妻为基础的心身结合计划(如瑜伽、太极)可能特别有效。因此，米尔伯里博士的职业目标与公共健康和国家补充和替代医学中心(NCCAM)的范围相关，因为这项调查将使用科学严谨的多方法评估战略来检验心身干预在改善癌症患者及其伴侣的健康方面的作用。为了帮助米尔伯里博士成为一名独立研究人员，我们提出了一项计划，该计划将在知名独立科学家的指导下提供培训和研究经验。培训将集中在三个领域：1)补充和综合医学(CIM)；2)随机对照试验(RCT)；3)生物测量和机制。对于这些领域中的每一个领域，申请者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，该项目涉及两个具体目标：1)开发和测试基于夫妇的心身(CBMB)计划的可接受性，以及2)确定CBMB计划在接受放射治疗的肺癌患者及其伴侣的主观和客观健康衡量方面的可行性和初步有效性。这一项目不仅代表着肺癌患者及其伴侣在管理生活质量方面迈出的重要一步，而且也是朝着推进心身医学科学的方向迈出的重要一步。为了达到这些目标，我们将首先进行形成性研究，包括定量和定性的方法来评估18对夫妇在三种不同的心身练习(哈达瑜伽、藏式瑜伽和太极)的体验，以选择最合适的练习作为CBMB项目的基础。我们将根据这些发现制定CBMB计划的内容，然后实施CBMB计划的试点RCT，以检查50对患有肺癌及其治疗的夫妇的主观(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)。米尔伯里博士将使用获得的试验数据来指导她未来的拨款申请 这将正式测试CBMB计划的效力。申请书中建议的培训和研究活动将帮助她成为一名有能力获得这种赠款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.