Cancer Control Research
5R01CA074567-02
Cartmel, Brenda
INCREASING F & V INTAKE IN HEAD & NECK CANCER PATIENTS
AbstractDESCRIPTION (Applicant's Description) Early stage head and neck cancer
patients, who appear curatively treated, experience high morbidity and
mortality rates from both cancer recurrence and second primary cancers in
the field of cancerization. Low fruit and vegetable intake has consistently
been found to be a risk factor for head and neck cancer evidence suggests an
association with a higher risk of second primary cancer. Data from head and
neck cancer patients in an ongoing clinical trial suggests that these
patients do not significantly increase their relatively low intake of fruit
and vegetable intake following diagnosis of cancer, and that the majority
remain well below the US nationally recommended daily intake of 5 servings
of fruits and vegetables per day. The aim of this project is to determine
if the use of a tailored intervention based on the stage of change model
will increase their servings of fruit and vegetables and thereby increase
plasma carotenoid levels by 30 percent. The intervention will be designed
to be translatable to the normal medical care of these patients.
Eighty patients with early stage head and neck cancer from the State of
Connecticut will be recruited for the study. Patients reporting intake of
less than 5 daily servings of fruit and vegetables will be randomized to
either the intervention or control arm of the study. Those in the
intervention arm will receive a tailored intervention designed to increase
intake of fruit and vegetables based on their assigned stage membership with
regard to fruit and vegetable intake. The intervention will be conducted
over a 6 month period and will include a contact every 6 weeks which mimics
the follow up care schedule for these patients. The outcome of the trial
will be assessed by measuring the change in plasma carotenoid levels over
the length of the trial in the intervention group as compared to the control
group. If feasible this intervention could be incorporated into usual care
for these patients to reduce their risk of subsequent cancer.
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