Summary
Malnutrition, sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass and strength), and cachexia (weight loss and fatigue) are common concerns for people with pancreatic cancer, causing increased risk of comorbidities and may affect their ability to respond to cancer treatments. This study aims to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of an out-patient dietetics program on nutritional status and quality of life in individuals with pancreatic cancer.
You may be eligible for this study if you are aged 18 years or older, have been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and are due to begin your cancer therapy within the next month.
You will be assessed by a dietitian within the first month of your treatment. Basic health and nutrition information will be collected including your age, weight, cancer stage and treatment, symptoms impacting your nutrition (such as nausea, vomiting, or treatment side effects), and diet history.
Individual nutrition recommendations will be provided to optimise your nutritional intake, which might involve consuming oral nutrition supplements. If you have not started therapy, education will be provided regarding your upcoming treatment and how this might impact your nutrition afterwards. The number of times you will be seen by a dietitian will depend on your nutrition status and how much support you require.
You will be requested to complete questionnaires to help researchers understand your nutritional status, quality of life, and satisfaction with the dietetics program.
It is hoped this research will determine that dietary counselling for patients with pancreatic cancer is feasible and acceptable to these patients. This pilot study will assess whether there is potential benefit in delivering this service to a greater number of patients with pancreatic cancer in a larger randomised trial.