Nutrition plan to help older adults with cancer recover after surgery
Official title: Preserving Physical Function in Older Adults with Cancer: Impact of an Optimizing Nutrition Intervention Applied Before and After Surgery
Funded at Durham VA Medical Center · NIH-11400858 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A multi-nutrient approach given around cancer surgery for older adults aims to preserve and restore physical function after treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Durham VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01RX003981-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11400858 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Older adults (likely 60+) with advanced cancer facing surgical treatment.
✕Less likely to help
Some patients may not respond to the nutrition approach or may have contraindications to certain nutrients.
What this research studies
This project focuses on older adults with advanced cancer who are about to have surgery. It tests a nutrition strategy that starts before and continues after surgery to prevent muscle loss, support appetite, and improve recovery. By addressing multiple metabolic pathways, the plan seeks to help patients regain strength and daily function more quickly and reduce complications. The research will track physical function, metabolic markers, and patient-centered outcomes to see if the approach works better than usual care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this nutrition plan could improve recovery, reduce complications, and help older patients maintain independence after cancer surgery.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work suggests nutrition can influence recovery in cancer, but this composite, multi-nutrient approach around surgery is novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Durham VA Medical Center
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Starr, Kathryn N — Durham VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Starr, Kathryn N
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.