Time‑restricted eating during rectal cancer treatment
Project 4: Effect of Meal Timing during Cancer Treatment in Cancer Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Compares eating only during a set daily time window to usual eating for people with rectal cancer receiving pre-surgery treatment to reduce treatment side effects and improve metabolic health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11176289 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be randomly assigned to either follow a time‑restricted eating schedule or continue your usual eating pattern while receiving neoadjuvant (pre-surgery) treatment for rectal cancer. The trial plans to enroll about 100 patients at the Alaska Native Medical Center and runs in parallel with related work at other sites. Doctors and researchers will collect clinical data, blood samples, and information about side effects, treatment tolerance, tumor response, and metabolic markers. The goal is to see whether limiting daily eating hours helps people better tolerate treatment and improves metabolic health.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with rectal cancer who are receiving neoadjuvant (pre-surgery) chemotherapy and/or radiation at the Alaska Native Medical Center, including Alaska Native patients, are the intended participants.
Not a fit: People without rectal cancer, those not receiving neoadjuvant treatment, or patients with medical reasons that make time‑restricted eating unsafe (for example certain uncontrolled diabetics or those with severe weight loss risk) may not benefit or be eligible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could reduce treatment side effects and improve metabolic health, possibly helping patients tolerate therapy better.
How similar studies have performed: Early research and related trials like the CHRONO trial have suggested potential benefits of timed eating during cancer treatment, but clinical evidence is still limited and this is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
Seattle, United States
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center — Seattle, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Thomas, Timothy K — Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
- Study coordinator: Thomas, Timothy K
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 below.