# Burden Among Informal Caregivers of Older Adults Receiving Treatments for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

> **NIH NIH R03** · ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI · 2020 · $184,077

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
The research proposed in this application concerns the needs of caregivers of older adults with hepatocellular
carcinoma (HCC), the most common type of primary liver cancer. HCC is a feared complication of chronic liver
disease, has a rising incidence, and is difficult to cure. The American Society of Clinical Oncology recommends
the routine inclusion of palliative care in the care of people with advanced cancers. However, HCC-specific
palliative care programs have not been developed. HCC differs from other solid cancers because it arises most
often in the setting of cirrhosis, or scarring that results from chronic liver disease. Caregiver support is a core
element of palliative care delivery, yet we know very little about the burden faced by informal caregivers caring
for people with HCC. Older adults and their informal caregivers are a subset of this population at risk for unmet
caregiver need, as these patients have more complex care needs because of their co-morbidities, and are
often not candidates for curative treatments like liver transplantation. Furthermore, recent years have seen
rapid advancement in HCC treatments, like chemo- and radioembolization, and chemo-and immunotherapy,
and people are living longer with this condition. The objective of this study is to measure burden among
informal caregivers of older adults receiving treatments for HCC and to describe their caregiving experience. In
the first part, the team will recruit informal caregivers of older adults with intermediate or advanced stage HCC
at the time the patient begins treatment (chemo- and radioembolization, stereotactic body radiation, or chemo-
/immunotherapies). The team will measure the prevalence of caregiver burden in the population using the Zarit
Burden Survey and collect explanatory data about the patient and caregivers. They will use a logistic
regression model to identify patient and caregiver characteristics that are associated with increased burden. In
the second part, the team will again recruit informal caregiver subjects providing care for older adults with HCC
who are receiving treatments for HCC. They will perform semi-structured interviews and collect qualitative data
to describe the burden and caregiving experience of the study population. The results will be incorporated into
the design of a randomized controlled trial of early palliative care for HCC patients that will occur after the
conclusion of the award. The quantitative results of the study—prevalence of burden and sub-groups of
caregivers with higher levels of caregiver burden—will be incorporated into the design of the future trial,
including power calculations, and the qualitative results will be used to target the content of the planned
intervention. The research will take place at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, which has one of the
largest liver cancer programs in the United States.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10028023
- **Project number:** 1R03AG067992-01
- **Recipient organization:** ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI
- **Principal Investigator:** Christopher Woodrell
- **Activity code:** R03 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $184,077
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-15 → 2022-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10028023

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10028023, Burden Among Informal Caregivers of Older Adults Receiving Treatments for Hepatocellular Carcinoma (1R03AG067992-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10028023. Licensed CC0.

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