Faculty Research

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Heidi Donovan, PhD, RN

Keywords:

• Cancer
• Symptom Management
• Intervention Research
• Psycho-education Programs

Current Funded Research:

• Symptom Cluster Experienced by Women Across the Ovarian Cancer Disease Trajectory
• Development and Testing of the Self-Directed WRITE Symptoms: Cancer Symptom Management Module
• Phase 1: Dose Escalation Studies of Intraperitoneal Oxaliplatin with Intravenous Oxaliplatin with Intraperitoneal Docetaxel in Platinum Resistant Recurrent Ovarian, Peritoneal and Fallopian Tube Cancer,”

Donovan, H.
01/01/06 – 06/30/07
Oncology Nursing Society

Symptom Cluster Experienced by Women Across the Ovarian Cancer Disease Trajectory

Funding Agency – Oncology Nursing Society: This proposed study is the second collaborative project between the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing and the Oncology Nursing Society.  The broad objectives of the project are to contribute to the conceptual, methodological, and clinical understanding of symptom clusters in cancer patients. The specific aims of this study are to 1) describe symptom clusters in women with ovarian cancer at six different phases in the disease trajectory (women who have no current evidence of disease (NED) and have never received chemotherapy; women who have NED and had primary treatment < 5 years ago; women who have NED and had primary treatment > 5 years ago; women who currently have NED after one or more recurrences; women on treatment for recurrent cancer; and women not receiving treatment for recurrent cancer); and 2) explore whether symptom clusters are different for women at different phases of the disease trajectory, and 3) evaluate whether the predominant symptom cluster in each subset of women is a better predictor of impaired function and life satisfaction than total symptom burden.  A secondary aim of the study will be to evaluate a novel approach to symptom cluster information by using difference scores among pairs of symptoms as the basis for cluster analysis.  The design of this study is an exploratory, secondary analysis of existing data from a study of the cognitive and emotional representations of women with a history of ovarian cancer. Data to be extracted from the original data set include disease and treatment status at time of survey; months since diagnosis, months since last treatment; number of previous chemotherapy regimens; symptom severity, symptom interference with life activities, life satisfaction, and demographic information (age, income, ethnicity, marital status). Data will be analyzed to identify symptom clusters within subsets of subjects at different phases of the disease trajectory and to compare symptom clusters between subsets of subjects.  

Donovan, H.
07/01/2007 - 06/30/2009
CRDF

Development and Testing of the Self-Directed WRITE Symptoms:
Cancer Symptom Management Module

The purpose of this study is to develop and test the self-directed WRITE symptoms module for women with recurrent ovarian cancer.  The specific aims are to: 1) develop the self-directed WRITE symptoms module using a library of self-care strategies for symptom management and information regarding common concerns that have been developed for the current R21 project, and 2) to conduct unit, component, and system (alpha) testing of the self-directed WRITE symptoms module by web designers current WRITE symptoms© study personnel, and 3) follow modifications based on alpha testing, evaluate feasibility, usability, and acceptability (beta-testing) of the self-directed WRITE symptoms module with a sample of 10 women with a history of ovarian cancer

This study will provide critical pilot data to proceed with an R01 application to conduct a 3-arm Randomized Clinical Trial comparing the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of nurse-delivered WRITE Symptoms© vs. self-directed WRITE Symptoms vs. Care-as-Usual.  The Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG), an international NCI supported cooperative oncology group, has committed to opening the 3-arm RCT as a GOG protocol (thereby providing recruitment and data analytic support).

Co-Investigator:

Donovan, H.
04/25/08-03/31/2010
SA

Sanofi Aventis “Phase 1: Dose Escalation Studies of Intraperitoneal Oxaliplatin with Intravenous Oxaliplatin with Intraperitoneal Docetaxel in Platinum Resistant Recurrent Ovarian, Peritoneal and Fallopian Tube Cancer,” (R. Edwards and K. Zorn, School of Medicine)