24GUT540 : Meeting of Breast Cancer Patients and Pathologists

Not Applicable

Not yet recruiting

• Conditions: Breast Cancer

• Registration Number: NCT07040514
• Lead Sponsor: Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

Brief Summary

Historically, most pathologists have had little direct contact or communication with patients. In the past two decades, however, there has been a modest movement toward patient-pathologist visits in which pathologists review with patients their pathology slides.

Very few studies of such encounters have been conducted. Most surveyed patients reported that the experience was positive and helpful to them. Our basic goal is to determine if such meetings are useful to patients; a secondary goal is to determine if such encounters are useful to, and practical for, pathologists.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2025-05-12
• Study First Submitted QC: 2025-06-18
• Study First Posted: 2025-06-27
• Status Verified: 2025-07
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-07-16
• Last Update Posted: 2025-07-18
• Study Start: 2025-08-01
• Primary Completion: 2027-06-01
• Study Completion: 2028-06-01

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 20

Inclusion Criteria

1. Must be at least 18 years of age.
2. Patients must have completed initial diagnosis visit with oncologist or surgeon.
3. Must have pathology slides and reports available for review.
4. Must be able to speak English.
5. Must be willing to participate in this research and will be provided with an information sheet.
6. Pregnant women are eligible as this research poses no risk of physical harm to the participant.

Exclusion Criteria

1. Patients <18 years of age.
2. Patients with DCIS are ineligible.
3. Adults who are unable to provide written signature.
4. Patients from vulnerable patient populations, including infants, minors, those unable to provide informed consent, and those incarcerated or imprisoned at the time of enrollment.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Participant self-rating of understanding of, and empowerment in relation to, their disease, as measured using pre and post-visit knowledge questionnaires, and survey after meeting with a pathologist.	1-2 weeks	Determine understanding improvement from pre-meeting questionnaires and after pathologist visit with post-visit questionnaires, as well as knowledge questionnaire for both timepoints.; Knowledge Questionnaire: Primary Score: Total Score - Total # correct responses on the knowledge questions (12 items total).; Survey for Patients after Meeting with Pathologist Primary Score: Item 1 Total Score - Responses will be coded on a 0-4 scale where 0=strongly disagree and 4=strongly agree, and the total will be calculated across items 'a' through 'j' of Item 1.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Participant knowledge of their personal disease characteristics	1-2 weeks	Determined by participant completing pre-and-post visit Knowledge Questionnaires.; Knowledge Questionnaire: Primary Score: Total Score - Total # correct responses on the knowledge questions (12 items total).
Participant general knowledge of breast cancer pathology	1-2 weeks	Determined by participant completing pre-and-post visit Knowledge Questionnaires.; Knowledge Questionnaire: Primary Score: Total Score - Total # correct responses on the knowledge questions (12 items total).