A study looking at using a cancer support app for people with head and neck cancer (ENHANCE)

Please note - this trial is no longer recruiting patients. We hope to add results when they are available.

Cancer type:

Head and neck cancers

Laryngeal cancer

Mouth (oral) cancer

Nasal and paranasal sinus cancer

Nasopharyngeal cancer

Pharyngeal cancer

Salivary gland cancer

Status:

Closed

Phase:

Other

This study is looking at using an app to see if it can help support people having treatment for head and neck cancer.

It is open to people having treatment at the Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. You can take part in the study whether you are already using the app or not.

Some people with head and neck cancer at these hospitals are already using this new care support app. They use the app during treatment to self manage their side effects.

The aims of the study are to find out if people:

are willing to use the app
can use the app easily
find it helps to support them

Who can enter

The following bullet points are a summary of the entry conditions for this study. Talk to your doctor or the study team if you are unsure about any of these. They will be able to advise you.

Who can take part

You may be able to join this study if all of the following apply. You:

are having treatment for head and neck cancer at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
are able to read and write English
have been offered the app or you are already using it as part of a quality improvement initiative
are at least 18 years old

You can join this study if you decide not to use the app.

Who can’t take part

You cannot join this study if you are in bed or a chair for most of the day, need help to look after yourself or you need complete care (performance status 3 or 4).

Trial design

The team needs up to 50 people to take part.

After 8 weeks of using the app you fill in a survey. This asks about how easy it is to use the app. This takes about 15 minutes to complete.

The team will ask some people to take part in an interview. This will include people who are using the app and those who decided not to use the app.

For people using the app the interviewer will ask about:

your experience of using the app
how you think it should be used alongside usual care

If you chose not to use the app, the team will ask you to explain your reasons for this.

The interview takes between 30 and 60 minutes. It can be:

face to face at the hospital or
at another location convenient to you or
over the phone or
as a video call

The team will ask your permission to record the interview.

They will look at your medical notes to find out about:

your treatment
your symptoms
side effects from treatment

All the information you give during the interview and the information from the medical notes will be confidential.

The team will also ask 25 members of the healthcare team about the app.

Hospital visits

There are no extra hospital visits if you take part in this study.

Side effects

The study team does not expect any side effects from using the app.

Talking about your cancer and treatment in the interview might cause some distress. If this happens the interviewer can help you access support for this.

We have more information about head and neck cancers.