Precision Nutrition Interventions to Reduce Cancer-Related Symptoms

Fast-Track proposals will be accepted. Direct-to-Phase II proposals will be accepted. Number of anticipated awards: 2-3 Budget (total costs, per award): Phase I: up to $400,000 for up to 12 months Phase II: up to $2,250,000 for up to 2 years PROPOSALS THAT EXCEED THE BUDGET OR PROJECT DURATION LISTED ABOVE MAY NOT BE FUNDED. Summary Cancer and cancer treatment can precipitate complex symptoms, termed nutrition impact symptoms, that negatively affect food intake, digestion, absorption, utilization of nutrients, and overall nutritional health. Common symptoms reported include anorexia, early satiety, constipation, diarrhea, and malabsorption. Other reported symptoms include dysphagia, mucositis, esophagitis, oral candidiasis, acid reflux, thick saliva, fatigue, and alterations in taste and smell. These nutrition impact symptoms negatively affect overall nutritional health and reduce patients' quality of life, which can further impact cancer treatment adherence and is linked to suboptimal treatment outcomes. Early identification and effective management of symptoms affecting nutrition can help maintain patient's nutritional status, protect quality of life, and bolster tolerance for cancer treatment, which is vital for most cancer types. Although some assessment tools are available that help practitioners to ascertain the presence, intensity, duration, and timing of these symptoms, there remains a lack of rigorous research and evidence-based treatment strategies to reduce these symptoms. There is a significant need and opportunity to develop new and effective nutritional interventions that could minimize nutrition impact symptoms and enhance the quality of life for cancer patients. The NIH Office of Disease Prevention held a Pathways to Prevention workshop to examine the evidence and interplay between nutritional interventions in cancer health outcomes. A report of the workshop by an independent panel made a key recommendation to develop precision nutrition interventions to alleviate nutrition impact symptoms that arise as side effects from cancer treatment or result from tumor burden. Developing nutritional interventions, such as nutritional agents or compounds, food products, and/or medical foods, would greatly help patients manage the symptoms of cancer and its treatment on health outcomes.