Online Sharing for Head & Neck Cancer Support

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Social Sharing-Based Mobile Application: Mobile app with five modules: daily sharing, anonymous peer interaction, psychoeducational resources, task reminders, and professional support. Participants post ≥2 shares and interact ≥3 times weekly for 8 weeks. Content moderated by research assistants.

Usual Care with Psycho-educational Manual: Participants receive standard radiotherapy care and a printed psychological adjustment manual, without access to the social sharing APP during the initial intervention phase.

Study summary

Head and neck cancer patients often experience significant anxiety and depression during radiation therapy, which can affect their quality of life and treatment adherence. However, traditional psychological support is limited by resource constraints and accessibility. This study aims to evaluate whether a mobile application based on social sharing and peer interaction can improve psychological distress in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) undergoing radiotherapy.

This is a prospective, randomized, parallel-group, open-label trial. A total of 120 participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either the immediate intervention group or a waitlist control group. Participants in the intervention group will use a dedicated app featuring daily sharing, peer interaction (anonymous comments, likes, private messaging), psychoeducational resources, and reminders. The control group will receive a printed psychoeducational booklet during the initial phase and will gain access to the app after the primary endpoint assessment.

The primary outcome is the change in anxiety score (HADS-A) from baseline to completion of radiotherapy. Secondary outcomes include depression scores (HADS-D), radiotherapy interruption rate, app engagement, and severe psychological distress prevalence. Exploratory outcomes include quality of life (EORTC QLQ-C30, H\&N35), readmission rate, adverse event severity (CTCAE v5.0), and biological markers (e.g., cortisol, IL-6, CRP).

The study is expected to run from April 2026 to August 2027. Findings may inform scalable digital psychosocial interventions for cancer patients.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Change in Anxiety Score (HADS-A) — Baseline (within 1 week pre-radiotherapy) through 12 weeks post-radiotherapy
  Change in the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety subscale (HADS-A) score from baseline to completion of radiotherapy. HADS-A consists of 7 items, each scored 0-3, with total score ranging from 0 to 21. Higher scores indicate more severe anxiety symptoms.

Trial sites (1)

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