Dr. Thornton’s research program focuses on understanding the impact of cancer on psychological functioning and quality of life as well as factors that promote or impede adjustment to health-related challenges. Current active projects focus on prostate, lung, and breast cancer survivors and their family members, and these are summarized below.
Quality of Life and Psychological Adjustment in Prostate Cancer Patients and their Partners
This is a prospective, longitudinal study examining multiple components of psychological adjustment and quality of life in prostatectomy patients and their partners. Primary study aims focus on understanding the role of social contextual factors on partner psychological functioning; the impact of pre-surgical expectations on patient quality of life (QoL) outcomes 1 year later; and the trajectory of prostate-cancer specific QoL over time. These data will enhance our understanding of the impact of prostate cancer on patients and family members, shed light on patient-partner interactions that may inhibit adjustment following diagnosis, and inform the development of psychological interventions aimed at improving psychosocial adjustment and QoL in prostate cancer survivors and their partners.
The Relations among Coping, Gender and Psychological Adaptation in People with Lung Cancer.
This longitudinal study aims to test coping processes as pathways to psychological functioning in men and women with lung cancer. In addition to testing hypotheses regarding the contribution of specific coping processes on domains of psychological functioning, we also are gathering comprehensive data regarding the impact of lung cancer on multiple components of quality of life and the psychological and support needs of this population. Findings will enhance our understanding of variables that contribute to unique adjustment outcomes in women and men with this common cancer and allow us to target clinical interventions more effectively with this group.
Retrospective Chart Review of Psychology Consultation-Liaison Data
This descriptive study uses existing data available to us by virtue of our clinical psychology consultation service to examine patterns of referral, psychological profiles, and demographic and medical characteristics to our service over a one year period. Study results may be used to identify subgroups in the City of Hope population (demographic, medical, psychological or otherwise) at risk for psychological distress, and to improve our provision of services accordingly by developing systems and programs to meet these needs.
Dr. Thornton also is a Co-Investigator on Dr. Jeffrey Weitzel’s research Individualized
Risk Information System (IRIS) for BRCA Carriers, which aims to design and integrate a decision aid component into a computerized genetic counseling tool (IRIS). She also is a Co-Investigator with Dr. Melanie Palomares on her project Blood Tumor Markers for Molecular Diagnosis of Breast Disease, where Dr. Thornton is involved in prospectively assessing changes in quality of life and psychological functioning over time and testing the relationship between pre-biopsy positive expectations and post-biopsy psychological adjustment. Finally, Dr. Thornton is a consultant on Dr. Martin Perez’s project Communication in Stage-3 and Stage-4 Cancer Patients and Their Primary Support Network, where she is collecting pilot data on posttraumatic growth in advanced cancer patients and their support network.
