Overview
This is a feasibility pilot trial assessing a behavioral intervention for chronic pain among disease-free cancer survivors to decrease long-term opioid dependence.
Description
To assess the feasibility and acceptability of implementing brief Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for chronic pain (ACT-CP) in a Survivorship clinic.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Diagnosis of cancer of any type, currently in remission, having completed active primary therapy. Patients on oral adjuvant hormone therapy will still be eligible.
- Completed active therapy must have been curative in intent (for example stage IV cancer patients such as head and neck cancer patients treated with curative intent are eligible).
- Self-reported cancer pain for >= 3 months
- Opioid use >= 5MME/day (morphine milligram equivalents) as prescribed by physician for cancer-related pain for at least 6 months beyond completion of their cancer treatment
- VCUHealth system patient
Exclusion Criteria:
- History of opioid use prior to cancer diagnosis
- Anyone with prior history of substance use disorder or currently enrolled in a methadone program
- Anyone with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder
- Current utilization of psychotherapy services for pain, depression, anxiety, and/or PTSD
- Cognitive concerns that would prevent meaningful engagement in treatment
- Inability to converse in English
- Lack of working telephone and Internet connection (must have at least one or the other)
- Anyone found to have progression of cancer
- Anyone diagnosed with cancer recurrence or new cancer during their study period
- Documented diagnosis of or positive screen for current substance use disorder (score >5 on the Drug Abuse Screening Test-10 [DAST-10])
- Anyone scoring >=8 on ORT indicating very high risk for opioid abuse