Cancer poses a powerful threat to the emotional equilibrium of patients and their families. A key role of the family and medical team is to provide a supportive environment as the patient confronts the reality of death. Few interventions have been developed to help families support patients in dealing with fears of death and dying. We present one such approach, the Life Tape Project (LTP), that helps bring families closer together, increases communication, and acts as an existential intervention leading to greater sense of legacy, meaning, self-awareness, identity, and connection. Additionally, the results of a pilot study exploring the benefits of the LTP are presented, and we describe symbolic immortality, an aspect of existential coping, to illuminate how existential and social support factors can work together to benefit patients and their families.

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8604 Background: Facing cancer, most patients struggle with mortality and threats to their emotional equilibrium and that of their families. Families may become closer, but often communication difficulties and isolation increase. The Life Tape Project (LTP) is an intervention—involving a two hour video-taped genealogy and life story in the presence of family—designed to help patients and families confront this existential crisis. An important aspect is the cultivation of Symbolic Immortality—that some important part of the person continues to exist symbolically, even after death—helping patients identify with things greater and more enduring than themselves, and providing a sense of what will remain with the family after they are gone. Observation and pilot data suggested patients receive substantial benefits from the LTP. Results from an ongoing study designed to quantify and extend these observations are reported. Method: Adults with any cancer diagnosis are recruited from the general population. Patients complete baseline questionnaires before the LT interview and follow-up packets two and ten weeks after. Measures include the FACT-G for Quality of Life (QOL) and a Perceived Benefits Questionnaire covering eight themes suggested by previous research. A final semi-structured interview probes for unwanted effects. Results: At first follow-up (N = 23 as of 1/8/06) repeated measure t-tests revealed significant increases in FACT-G Functional and QOL (Total) scales; and a majority of patients reported substantial benefits (endorsing “very” or “extremely true for me”) in at least one theme. Final interviews revealed no unwanted effects. Conclusions: The LTP is a powerful, safe, and accessible intervention that can improve family communication and connectedness, promote personal growth, and reduce existential anxiety through the creation of symbolic immortality. Requiring minimal equipment and time, it would make an excellent addition to any supportive care program. [Table: see text] No significant financial relationships to disclose.

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