Here at Cactus Cancer Society, we’re always interested in amplifying the voices and experiences of young adults facing cancer, and making sure this population is represented in research. Click on the study titles below to learn more about each research opportunity and how you can use your story to help others!
Study Description
PhD student researcher Rachel Hawn, BSN, RN, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Nursing is doing a research study to understand the relationship between symptom experiences and physical activity in survivors of adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancers and to identify physical activity support needs and preferences.
Am I Eligible to Participate?
You are eligible to participate if you:
Were diagnosed with cancer between the ages of 15 and 39
- If you are currently aged 15-17, parental consent is required to participate in the study
Are at least 6 months post-completion of your primary cancer treatment
What Will I Be Asked to Do?
Your participation involves completing an anonymous 20-30 minutes survey about your health and physical activity engagement.
Will I Be Compensated?
Participants will receive a $15 Amazon gift card as compensation.
How Do I Sign Up?
If you have questions about the study, contact Rachel Hawn at rhawn@wisc.edu
To sign up to participate, visit https://uwmadison.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6i2zdZybSzdVcj4
Study Description
The purpose of the study is to explore relationships and intimacy after cancer in young adult survivors.
Am I Eligible to Participate?
You are eligible to participate if you:
- Are between the ages of 18 and 39
- Have a history of cancer
- Completed cancer treatment at least six months ago
What Will I Be Asked to Do?
Your participation involves a 60-minute interview via secure video conference.
Will I Be Compensated?
Participants will receive $80 in compensation.
How Do I Sign Up?
To sign up to participate, visit https://cunyhunter.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5myjyCTEMp5FSnk
Study Description
The purpose of this study is to better understand the facilitators and barriers to creating digital cancer stories created by LGBTQIA+ Adolescent and Young Adults (AYA)s with cancer and its clinical utility for outcomes. Participants will make a video about their experiences as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community with a cancer history, and give us feedback on the process.
Am I Eligible to Participate?
You are eligible to participate if you:
- Were diagnosed with cancer between the ages of 15 and 39
- Are currently over the age of 18
- Are a member of the LGBTQIA+ community
What Will I Be Asked to Do?
You’ll be asked to make a video about your experiences as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community with a cancer history, and give us feedback on the process. The study will take place online, with the potential to be anonymous, and last approximately 60 minutes.
Will I Be Compensated?
Participants will receive a $20 gift card.
How Do I Sign Up?
To sign up to participate, email Jessica O’Brien at jobrien10@touro.edu or Dr. Pereira at lpereira@nymc.edu
Study Description
The purpose of the study is to test an app-based wellness intervention for blood cancer patients experiencing sleep disturbances. This study is completely remote.
Am I Eligible to Participate?
You are eligible to participate if you:
- Are 18 years of age or older
- Live in the USA
- Have received a blood cancer diagnosis and are currently undergoing treatment
- Experience sleep disturbances, such as difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or poor quality of sleep
- Own a smartphone
What Will I Be Asked to Do?
Your participation involves:
- One 30-minute virtual meeting with a research assistant
- Completing online surveys
- Providing three blood samples over the course of the 20-week study at a lab close to you
- Tracking sleep using a small device and daily diary
- Using a wellness app for 10 minutes per day for 8 weeks
Will I Be Compensated?
Participants will receive $100 in compensation.
How Do I Sign Up?
To learn more, visit https://cancer.uthscsa.edu/
To sign up to participate, visit https://redcap.link/hemescreening
Study Description
SHAREonline is a study for young female cancer survivors who are experiencing changes in sexual health and function. We know this is a common problem for many women after cancer treatment. The purpose of this research is to compare two brief, single-session, educational interventions delivered over Zoom to learn if they help women effectively manage these changes and restore sexual health and functioning.
Am I Eligible to Participate?
You are eligible to participate if you:
- Are a female cancer survivor
- Are between the ages of 19 and 49
- Were diagnosed with cancer at least 1 year ago
- Were diagnosed with your first cancer at age 18 or later
- Haven’t had active cancer therapy in the past 4 months
- Don’t have further therapy planned
- Are bothered by significant sexual disfunction
What Will I Be Asked to Do?
Participants are asked to:
- Complete a 30-minute study enrollment session on Zoom
- Attend the intervention session on Zoom (see more below)
- Complete 15 minute follow-up questionnaires online with a short phone call 2 and 4 months after the intervention session.
- After completing the final questionnaire, participants may also be invited to take part in an optional interview to provide feedback about their experience being in this study.
Participants will be randomized to receive either a group education session or an individual self-management session.
If you are randomized to the group session, you attend the group session on the date you selected. This Zoom session would include <10 women and would last about 3 hours with breaks. During this session you will receive information about the causes of changes in sexual health after cancer and how to manage them. One month after the session, you will have an individual coaching phone call (<30 minutes).
If you are randomized to the individual session, you would receive your session immediately during the enrollment session and would not attend the group session on the selected date. The session would last about 30 minutes, during which you would receive written and online materials and guidance on how they might be used.
Will I Be Compensated?
Participants will receive $60 in gift cards as compensation for completing all questionnaires.
How Do I Sign Up?
To sign up to participate, please email us share@dfci.harvard.edu or learn more at www.sharesurvivorship.com
Study Description
The purpose of the study is to demonstrate the feasibility of an eight-week, virtually-delivered, tailored music-based relaxation intervention to decrease anxiety in AYA cancer survivors with clinically-relevant anxiety.
Am I Eligible to Participate?
You are eligible to participate if you:
- Are between the ages of 15 and 39
- Are at least one month post cancer treatment
- Report experiencing clinically relevant anxiety in the past 7 days
What Will I Be Asked to Do?
Your participation involves:
- Being randomly put into an 8-week tailored music-based relaxation group or a control group that receives cancer survivorship resources (Control group participants will be offered the opportunity to complete the music-based relaxation group at the end of the study)
- Completing 4 surveys
- Potentially completing an interview
Will I Be Compensated?
Participants will receive $100 in compensation and the pair of headphones used in the study.
How Do I Sign Up?
To sign up to participate, visit https://umhealthresearch.org/studies/HUM00231408
Study Description
The purpose of the study is to test whether an informational website about fertility and family building after cancer is helpful for young female cancer survivors.
Am I Eligible to Participate?
You are eligible to participate if you:
- Were assigned female sex at birth
- Are between the ages of 18 and 45
- Have completed primary cancer treatment (women on hormone therapy or long-term adjuvant maintenance therapies are eligible)
- Desire to have a child (or more children) or are uncertain about family-building plans
What Will I Be Asked to Do?
You’ll be asked to complete four online 30-45 minute surveys over the course of 12 months.
Will I Be Compensated?
Participants will receive $30 in compensation for each survey, for a total possible compensation of $120.
How Do I Sign Up?
To sign up to participate, visit https://redcap.link/8aaq1ehv or email us at roadmaptoparenthood@stanford.edu
Study Description
The purpose of this study is to understand more about how the world that teen and young adult lymphoma survivors live in affects the outcomes of their cancer treatment. We call this field of research social genomics, and it takes a close look at why and how different factors like social stress, conflict, and isolation can impact cancer diagnoses and outcomes.
This study for young adult cancer survivors is being run by a fellow young adult cancer survivor. For more info, watch the research team’s informational YouTube video at https://youtu.be/xDlnWKvtkuU.
Am I Eligible to Participate?
You are eligible to participate if you:
- Were diagnosed with Hodgkin or non-Hodgkin lymphoma between the ages of 15 and 39
- Are currently between the ages of 18 and 39
- Completed treatment within the past three years
What Will I Be Asked to Do?
You’ll be asked to complete an online survey every six months for two years and provide a blood sample every six months for two years.
Will I Be Compensated?
Participants will receive a $20 gift card each time they complete a survey and provide a blood sample (5 times for a total of $100).
How Do I Sign Up?
Learn more at https://youtu.be/xDlnWKvtkuU. To sign up to participate, visit https://redcapproduction.umms.med.umich.edu/surveys/?s=ATKW4KFCEYHL9YR3
Are you a researcher looking to spread the word about your study? We are not currently sharing any new research studies. Please check back in November.