Plant-Based Diet for Colorectal Cancer

Overseen By Cindy Kin, MD

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Stanford University

Disqualifiers: Unable to maintain oral nutrition

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 3

60 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

Do I need to stop my current medications for the trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Plant-based diet education for colorectal cancer?

Research shows that a healthy plant-based diet is linked to a lower risk of digestive system cancers, including colorectal cancer. Emphasizing the quality of plant-based diets may help prevent these cancers. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is a plant-based diet safe for humans?

Research suggests that a healthy plant-based diet is generally safe and may even reduce the risk of certain cancers, including those in the digestive system. However, not all plant-based foods are healthy, so it's important to focus on the quality of the diet. ^{2 5 6 7 8}

How does the plant-based diet treatment for colorectal cancer differ from other treatments?

The plant-based diet treatment for colorectal cancer is unique because it focuses on dietary changes, emphasizing high intake of vitamins, fibers, and vegetables, which have protective effects against cancer, unlike traditional treatments that may involve surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation. ^{5 7 9 10 11}

What is the purpose of this trial?

Dietary patterns are a potentially modifiable risk factor for colon cancer recurrence, flares in inflammatory bowel diseases, and for chronic diseases. Nutritional counseling is rarely brought up during medical appointment. As a result, patients are often left confused regarding which specific dietary recommendation to follow after surgical treatment. A plant-based diet is naturally high in fiber and is beneficial to long-term health, especially for patients with colorectal diseases. The aims of this study are to: 1. Determine whether an educational intervention is effective in increasing intake of plants 2. Identify barriers and facilitators to adoption of a plant-based diet among patients with colorectal diseases 3. Identify secondary health gains related to adoption of a plant-based diet.

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for English-speaking patients who have had colorectal surgery within the last 6 months and are able to eat normally. It's designed to help those with colorectal diseases learn about and switch to a plant-based diet.

Inclusion Criteria

Access to Internet and email

Good English comprehension

Must be able to maintain oral nutrition

Exclusion Criteria

I cannot eat or drink by mouth.

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

1 visit (in-person or remote)

Enrollment

Participants are enrolled in the study and provide consent

1 week

1 visit (in-person or remote)

Intervention

Participants undergo a 6-week challenge to adopt a plant-based diet with weekly educational emails and tasks

6 weeks

Weekly virtual check-ins

Closeout

Quality of life and food frequency questionnaires are re-administered; semi-structured interviews conducted

2 weeks

1 visit (in-person or remote)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in diet and quality of life post-intervention

2 weeks

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Plant-based diet education

Trial Overview The study focuses on teaching patients about plant-based diets, aiming to increase their intake of plants, understand what helps or hinders switching to such a diet, and observe any additional health benefits from this change.

Participant Groups

Group I: Invervention group Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants will receive an educational intervention about how to incorporate more plant foods into their diet.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Stanford University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

2,527

Recruited

17,430,000+

Findings from Research

In a study of 216 colorectal cancer patients and their family caregivers, patients were less likely to maintain healthy eating habits if they faced perceived barriers to following dietary guidelines.

Patients were more likely to adopt healthier eating habits when their family caregivers actively tried to improve their own dietary habits, suggesting that family involvement is crucial in supporting dietary changes for better health outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Facilitators and Barriers to Adoption of a Healthy Diet in Survivors of Colorectal Cancer. Lee, MK., Park, SY., Choi, GS.[2020]

A healthy plant-based diet (hPDI) is associated with a reduced risk of total digestive system cancers, with significant reductions observed for gastrointestinal tract and liver cancers, based on data from three large cohorts totaling over 4.9 million person-years.

Conversely, an unhealthful plant-based diet (uPDI) is linked to an increased risk of gastrointestinal and colorectal cancers, highlighting the importance of diet quality in cancer prevention.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Plant-based dietary patterns and the risk of digestive system cancers in 3 large prospective cohort studies. Kim, J., Khil, J., Kim, H., et al.[2023]

Colorectal cancer patients who received structured in- and outpatient oncology nurse and nutritional counseling showed significant improvements in discharge management across seven areas, enhancing their overall care experience.

Patients in the intervention group reported better coping with treatment side effects and received more nutritional information, leading to improved management of food intolerances and adherence to dietary advice compared to the control group.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Health services research in colorectal cancer: a quasi-experimental interventional pilot study on in- and outpatient oncology. Reiter, M., Gerken, M., Lindberg-Scharf, P., et al.[2021]

A healthy plant-based diet (hPDI) is linked to a lower incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC), with a hazard ratio of 0.86, indicating a significant protective effect, especially against KRAS-wildtype CRC.

Conversely, an unhealthy plant-based diet (uPDI), characterized by refined grains and sugars, is associated with a higher incidence of CRC, with a hazard ratio of 1.16, highlighting the importance of diet quality in cancer risk.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Healthy and unhealthy plant-based diets in relation to the incidence of colorectal cancer overall and by molecular subtypes. Wang, F., Ugai, T., Haruki, K., et al.[2022]

References

1. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Facilitators and Barriers to Adoption of a Healthy Diet in Survivors of Colorectal Cancer. [2020]

2. Netherlands pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Plant-based dietary patterns and the risk of digestive system cancers in 3 large prospective cohort studies. [2023]

3. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Investigating the nutritional advice and support given to colorectal cancer survivors in the UK: is it fit for purpose and does it address their needs? [2021]

4. Germany pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Health services research in colorectal cancer: a quasi-experimental interventional pilot study on in- and outpatient oncology. [2021]

5. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Healthy and unhealthy plant-based diets in relation to the incidence of colorectal cancer overall and by molecular subtypes. [2022]

6. Netherlands pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Association between habitual dietary flavonoid and lignan intake and colorectal cancer in a Spanish case-control study (the Bellvitge Colorectal Cancer Study). [2013]

7. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Primary prevention of colorectal cancer through dietary modification. [2019]

8. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Association of plant-based dietary patterns with the risk of colorectal cancer: a large-scale case-control study. [2022]

9. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A case-control study on colorectal cancer in Belgium. Preliminary results. [2019]

10. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Diet and colorectal cancer. [2018]

11. Netherlands pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Diet and the prevention of colorectal cancer. [2019]