Skip to Content
800-533-8762
  • Careers
  • Newsroom
  • Health Care Professionals
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
UPMC
  • Find a Doctor
  • Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
      Allergy & Immunology Behavioral & Mental Health Cancer Ear, Nose & Throat Endocrinology Gastroenterology Heart & Vascular Imaging Neurosciences Orthopaedics
      Physical Rehabilitation Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Primary Care Senior Services Sports Medicine Telemedicine Transplant Surgery Walk-In Care Weight Management Women’s Health
      See all Services
    • Services by Region
    • Find a UPMC health care facility close to you quickly by browsing by region.
      UPMC in Western Pa. Western Pa. and New York
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Services
  • Locations
    • Locations by Type
    • Locations by Type
      UPMC hospitals
      Hospitals
      Physical Therapy
      Physical Therapy
      Urgent care
      Walk-In Care
      UPMC Outpatient Centers
      Outpatient Centers
      UPMC Imaging Services
      Imaging
      Community Health Centers
      Community Health Centers
      See All Locations
    • Locations by Region
    • Locations by Region
      UPMC in Southwest Pa. Southwest Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Northwest Pa and Ny. Northwest Pa. & Western N.Y.
      UPMC in West Central Pa. West Central Pa.
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Locations
  • Patients & Visitors
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
      Patients and Visitors Resources Pay a Bill Classes & Events Medical Records Health Library Patient Information
      Patient Portals Privacy Information Shared Decision Making Traveling Patients Visitor Information
      Man uses mobile phone
      Pay a Bill
      Nurse reviews medical chart
      Request Medical Records
  • Patient Portals
  • Find Covid-19 updates
  • Schedule an appointment
  • Request medical records
  • Pay a bill
  • Learn about financial assistance
  • Find classes & events
  • Send a patient an eCard
  • Make a donation
  • Volunteer
  • Read HealthBeat blog
  • Explore UPMC Careers
Skip to Content
UPMC
  • Patient Portals
  • For Patients & Visitors
    • Find a Doctor
    • Locations
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Pay a Bill
    • Services
    • More
      • Medical Records
      • Financial Assistance
      • Classes & Events
      • HealthBeat Blog
      • Health Library
  • About UPMC
    • Why UPMC
    • Facts & Stats
    • Supply Chain Management
    • Community Commitment
    • More
      • Financials
      • Support UPMC
      • UPMC Apps
      • UPMC Enterprises
      • UPMC International
  • For Health Care Professionals
    • Physician Information
    • Resources
    • Education & Training
    • Departments
    • Credentialing
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Newsroom
  • UPMC >
  • Media Relations >
  • News Releases >
  • 031224 Oncology Mental Health
Media Relations
News Releases
Central Pa. News
North Central Pa. News
Contact Us
Experts
Community-Focused News
Media Kits
Media RSS
Media Relations
News Releases
Central Pa. News
North Central Pa. News
Contact Us
Experts
Community-Focused News
Media Kits
Media RSS

Chat Keywords List

  • cancel or exit: Stops your conversation
  • start over: Restarts your current scenario
  • help: Shows what this bot can do
  • terms: Shows terms of use and privacy statement
  • feedback: Give us feedback
Continue
Chat with UPMC
RESTART
MENU
CLOSE

A Simple Intervention Benefits Cancer Patients While Saving Hospitals Money, Pitt Study Showed

For Journalists

Claire Gysegem
Communication Specialist II
412-518-5744
GysegemCV@upmc.edu

Anastasia (Ana) Gorelova
Senior Manager, Science Writing
412-647-9966
gorelovaa@upmc.edu

Want to Make an Appointment or Need Patient Information?
Contact UPMC at

1-800-533-8762.

Go to Find a Doctor to search for a UPMC doctor.

2023 Pitt HS Hillman

3/12/2024

PITTSBURGH – Cancer patients who received specialized mental health support as part of their treatment plan are more likely to see improvements in their quality of life and reductions in pain, depression and fatigue, according to a study led by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

In addition to lasting improvements in patients’ quality of life, researchers observed lower risk of cardiovascular disease in family caregivers, as well as substantial cost savings to the healthcare system. The findings from a Phase III clinical trial were published today in The Lancet.

“The current standard of care, which includes screening patients for these symptoms and referring them to a provider for treatment, is not working,” said lead author of the study Jennifer Steel, Ph.D., professor of surgery, psychiatry and psychology at Pitt. “Our integrated screening and treatment program provides meaningful support to patients and can save hospitals millions of dollars by preventing readmissions.” Jennifer Steel PhD

Numerous studies have shown that symptoms such as depression and pain are associated with higher rates of emergency room visits and readmissions to the hospital, higher health care costs and poorer survival. For nearly two decades, screening for these symptoms and referral for treatment has become standard of care for cancer centers in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Australia. Yet, various barriers prevent the majority of patients from initiating treatment. Steel and her team wanted to change that.

Out of 459 participants in the Phase III trial that was run at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Pittsburgh, half was assigned to the integrated screening and stepped collaborative care intervention group and connected with a trained social worker or counselor for weekly Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) sessions. Those sessions were integrated into the cancer care plan and held weekly for at least eight to 12 weeks via telehealth. Patients were also offered medication treatment if CBT alone did not provide a substantial benefit.

Traditional strategies involved with CBT include identifying and changing automatic thoughts, relaxation techniques, and changing core beliefs about oneself or environment. The CBT sessions also focused on the reduction of pain and fatigue by improving sleep hygiene and increasing physical activity.

At the six-month follow up, patients who were assigned to the stepped collaborative care group had greater improvements in emotional, physical and functional well-being than patients who were referred to a provider in their community for treatment. Importantly, those improvements persisted even one year after the intervention was initiated.

Patients receiving mental health treatment also had fewer emergency room visits and readmissions within 90 days, and shorter hospital stays, thus cutting down on costs to the health care system. The study showed that, even if the collaborative care intervention was offered to patients for free, hospitals may expect to save upward of 4 million dollars for every 250 patients. It is the first U.S.-based collaborative care intervention in the context of cancer to show such cost savings.

“Preserving, or improving, quality of life while undergoing treatment for cancer is our goal, and for some patients, it is as important as survival,” said Steel. “We hope our findings may shift the paradigm in the way in which we screen and treat these symptoms, while at the same time provide meaningful support to patients.”

Additional authors of the study include Charles George, M.S., Lauren Terhorst, Ph.D., Jonathan G. Yabes, Ph.D., Dan P. Zandberg, M.D., Marci Nilsen, Ph.D., Jonas Johnson, M.D., Yoram Vodovotz, Ph.D., Jon Walker, Ph.D., Samer Tohme, M.D., Timothy Billiar, M.D., and David A. Geller, M.D., all of Pitt; Vincent Reyes, M.D., Gauri Kiefer, M.D., Christopher Marsh, M.D., Jason Bierenbaum, M.D., Nishant Tageja, M.D., Michal Krauze, M.D., Robert VanderWeele, M.D., Gaurav Goel, M.D., and Gopala Ramineni, M.D., all of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, and Michael Antoni, Ph.D., of the University of Miami.

This research was supported by the National Cancer Institute (R01CA176809 with Administrative and Diversity Supplement; Clinical and Translation Sciences Institute UL1-TR-001857 for RedCap; Cancer Center Support Grant P30CA047904 for clinical trial network).


PHOTO DETAILS: (click image for high-res version)


CREDIT: UPMC
CAPTION: Jennifer L. Steel, Ph.D., Professor of Surgery, Psychiatry, and Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

UPMC
200 Lothrop Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213

412-647-8762 800-533-8762

Patients And Visitors
  • Find a Doctor
  • Locations
  • Pay a Bill
  • Patient & Visitor Resources
  • Disabilities Resource Center
  • Services
  • Medical Records
  • No Surprises Act
  • Price Transparency
  • Financial Assistance
  • Classes & Events
  • Health Library
Health Care Professionals
  • Physician Information
  • Resources
  • Education & Training
  • Departments
  • Credentialing
Newsroom
  • Newsroom Home
  • Inside Life Changing Medicine Blog
  • News Releases
About
  • Why UPMC
  • Facts & Stats
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Community Commitment
  • Financials
  • Supporting UPMC
  • HealthBeat Blog
  • UPMC Apps
  • UPMC Enterprises
  • UPMC Health Plan
  • UPMC International
  • Nondiscrimination Policy
Life changing is...
Follow UPMC
  • Contact Us
  • Website/Email Terms of Use
  • Medical Advice Disclaimer
  • Privacy Information
  • Active Privacy Alerts
  • Sitemap
© 2025 UPMC I Affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences Supplemental content provided by Healthwise, Incorporated. To learn more, visit healthwise.org
Find Care
Providers
Video Visit
Portal Login