The frailty-informed cancer management (FRAME) study

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Frailty-informed cancer management (FRAME): Integrating frailty assessment within specialist cancer services to support shared treatment decision-making for those with advanced cancer

• IRAS ID

  321284

• Contact name

  Jessica Pearce

• Contact email

  J.Pearce@leeds.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University of Leeds

• Duration of Study in the UK

  2 years, 6 months, 31 days

• Research summary

  Aim of the research
  To develop a frailty-informed cancer management (FRAME) intervention to support shared treatment decision-making for patients with advanced cancer

  Why is this research important?
  With an ageing population, the number of people living with cancer and frailty is increasing. People with frailty are more prone to experiencing significant complications in the course of systemic anti-cancer treatment (SACT) given to control cancer. Frailty assessments (measurements) could be used to better understand patients health and fitness and support cancer treatment decision-making.

  What will this research involve?
  The frailty-informed cancer management (FRAME) study will look in detail at how simple frailty assessments can be used within cancer clinics, with a key focus on how they can support shared decision-making between patients and the medical team.

  Specialised Clinical Frailty Network Cancer Pilots (SCFN-CPs) are already testing the use of frailty assessments in cancer clinics. In Phase 1 of the FRAME study we will learn from SCFN-CP experiences by interviewing patients/carers and staff at three SCFN-CPs (Manchester/Newcastle/Cambridge) to find out: 1) whether frailty assessment is acceptable to them 2) how it is being used 3) what impact it is having on patient care.

  In Phase 2, we will hold workshops where key stakeholders (patients, healthcare staff and researchers) will design the FRAME intervention together. Workshops will take place online as research findings become available.

  In Phase 3, the FRAME intervention will be tested in clinic with a small group of patients and staff (in one place initially; gastro-intestinal cancer clinics in Leeds). Routinely collected data, questionnaires and interviews will find out: 1) if FRAME is acceptable to patients/staff 2) whether FRAME can be successfully used in day-to-day practice 3) how to conduct a larger future study to test whether it works. The findings of Phase 3 will feed into the final intervention development workshop.

• REC name

  Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds West Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  23/YH/0082

• Date of REC Opinion

  20 Apr 2023

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion