# Resiliency Among Older Adults Receiving Lung Cancer Treatment (ROAR-LCT): A Pilot Intervention Study

> **NIH NIH R03** · OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $115,970

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) disproportionately affects older adults, but they are the least
studied in cancer research. Treatments for lung cancer are evolving rapidly, resulting in improved overall
survival even for patients with advanced disease. The impact of newer treatments such as immune checkpoint
inhibitors (ICIs) and combination therapy on functional status, the ability to recover worsening functional status
(resiliency), and clinical factors (i.e. treatment toxicity & disease response) for older adults is unknown. The
majority of older adults with cancer prioritize maintaining functional independence (i.e. no disability) over
survival. Despite this common desire among older adults, worsening functional status is a common
consequence of cancer treatment and is often not monitored throughout treatment. Among older adults with
NSCLC, symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and poor quality of life are common and are potential
determinants of whether patients are able to recover their functional status (resiliency) during treatment.
Interventions focusing on helping older adults to maintain functional status and improve resiliency at this time
are urgently needed. Dr. Presley's overall goal is to conduct research to understand the problem of functional
disability following cancer diagnosis and to develop empirically supported strategies to prevent the loss of
functional status in older adults with advanced lung cancer. To this end, the objectives of this application are:
1) to improve our understanding of functional status and resiliency among a cohort of older adults with
advanced NSCLC; and 2) to use this information to pilot a novel intervention targeting physical performance
and negative mood – two modifiable risk factors for worsening functional status among older adults undergoing
active treatment for advanced NSCLC. To meet these objectives, we will characterize functional status,
resiliency, and important clinical factors (i.e. treatment toxicity & disease response) in older adults with
advanced NSCLC in an ongoing prospective cohort study at The Ohio State University (Beating Lung Cancer
in Ohio). We will evaluate the association between clinical factors and outcomes: functional status and
resiliency in these patients. Refined with information from the first objective, a subset of patients will participate
in a pilot study, testing an intervention to improve functional status (via physical therapy) and reduce negative
mood (via progressive muscle relaxation, PMR) at regularly scheduled clinic visits in conjunction with virtual
health. The pilot intervention is designed to minimize treatment burden for this vulnerable patient population.
This will be one of the first studies to describe how treatment with ICIs affect older adults in terms of functional
status (i.e., activities of daily living and mobility). This award will provide the support necessary to advance Dr.
Presley's knowledge of intervention ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9989007
- **Project number:** 5R03AG064374-02
- **Recipient organization:** OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Carolyn Presley
- **Activity code:** R03 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $115,970
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-08-15 → 2021-10-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9989007

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9989007, Resiliency Among Older Adults Receiving Lung Cancer Treatment (ROAR-LCT): A Pilot Intervention Study (5R03AG064374-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9989007. Licensed CC0.

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