Nourishing Hope: Nutrition support for cancer treatment and recovery in Maine
Nourishing Hope: The Impact of Nutrition in Cancer Treatment and Recovery in Maine
This study will test whether medically tailored grocery delivery with nutrition counseling, compared with groceries alone or usual care, can improve diet quality over six months for people with cancer who live in parts of Maine.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 100 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Yale University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (New Haven, Connecticut) |
| Trial ID | NCT07076004 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This is a 6-month pilot randomized controlled trial enrolling 100 adults with any type or stage of cancer who live in select counties in Maine. Participants are randomly assigned to medically tailored grocery delivery plus nutrition counseling, medically tailored grocery delivery alone, or standard care with delayed grocery delivery. The primary outcome is change in diet quality from baseline to six months, with secondary outcomes including healthcare use, malnutrition, treatment-related symptoms, food insecurity, quality of life, financial toxicity, and measures of feasibility and acceptability. The project is conducted in partnership with the Christine B. Foundation, which currently delivers medically tailored groceries to cancer survivors in Maine.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adults (18+) with any past or current cancer diagnosis who plan to reside in Hancock, Penobscot, Washington, or Piscataquis counties in Maine for the next six months and who are not already receiving regular dietitian care are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People who are receiving regular dietitian care, are on total parenteral nutrition or tube feeding, have planned long-term inpatient cancer treatment, recently received grocery delivery from the Christine B. Foundation, or who live outside the specified counties are unlikely to benefit from or be eligible for this trial.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the intervention could improve diet quality and related health outcomes for cancer survivors, and may reduce symptoms, hospital visits, and food insecurity.
How similar studies have performed: Medically tailored meals and grocery programs have produced health benefits in other chronic disease groups, but they have been only minimally studied among cancer survivors, making this a relatively novel application.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * 18 years of age or older * Ever been diagnosed with cancer * Reside Hancock, Penobscot, Washington or Piscataquis county in Maine for the next 6 months Exclusion Criteria: * Seeing a dietitian regularly (at least once every two weeks) * Planned long-term inpatient cancer treatment * Receiving nutrition via IV also known as total parenteral nutrition * Getting nutrition through a feeding tube * Drinking more than 3 bottles of liquid meal replacements, such as Ensure, per day * Received grocery delivery or grocery (not produce only) pick-up from the Christine B. Foundation in the past 3 months. * Those with reduced mental capacity and unable to understand all the components of the study, including the details of randomization.
Where this trial is running
New Haven, Connecticut
- Yale School of Public Health — New Haven, Connecticut, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Leah M Ferrucci, PhD — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Leah M Ferrucci
- Email: leah.ferrucci@yale.edu
- Phone: 203-785-6232
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.