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

描述（由申请人提供）：这份K01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。Milbury博士的主要研究兴趣集中在癌症患者及其配偶/伴侣如何共同应对与癌症诊断和治疗相关的衰弱的身体和心理后遗症。人们对以夫妻为基础的改善生活质量（QOL）的方法知之甚少。以夫妻为基础的身心项目（如瑜伽、太极）在减轻肺癌患者及其伴侣的心理和生理症状负担方面可能特别有效。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，因为这项调查将使用科学严谨的多方法评估策略来检查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，我们提出了一个计划，将在成熟的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（RCTs）；3)生物测量与机制。对于这些领域，申请人将完成正式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)开发和测试以夫妻为基础的身心（CBMB）计划的可接受性；2)建立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测量方面的可行性和初步疗效。这个项目不仅代表着管理肺癌患者及其伴侣生活质量的重要一步，而且也代表着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，包括定量和定性的方法，以评估18对夫妇在三种不同的身心练习（哈达瑜伽，藏传瑜伽和太极）的经验，以选择最合适的练习作为CBMB计划的基础。我们将根据这些发现制定CBMB计划的内容，然后实施CBMB计划的试点随机对照试验，以检查50对应对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通知她未来的拨款申请

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.