Can a High-Fat diet help pelvic cancer patients during radiation?
NCT ID NCT05938322
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This study looks at whether people with rectal cancer can stick to a ketogenic diet (very low carbs, high fat) during chemoradiation. About 194 participants will be randomly assigned to either the ketogenic diet or a standard Mediterranean diet for 5 weeks. The main goal is to see how well they follow the diet, and researchers will also check changes in body fat and muscle mass.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- ketogenic diet
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that a ketogenic diet is a practical option for patients undergoing pelvic cancer radiotherapy, potentially improving nutritional status and body composition.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study focused on diet adherence, not on cancer outcomes. Results may not apply to all patients, and the strict diet may be hard to follow for some.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
-
About 194 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Jun 2024
- Expected to finish
-
Dec 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
18 to 75 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Histologic confirmation of rectal adenocarcinoma * Locally advanced rectal cancer * Patients undergoing neoadjuvant radiotherapy treatment * Signature of informed consent to the processing of personal data Exclusion Criteria: * Severely malnourished patients according to GLIM (Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition) criteria * Patients treated for palliative purposes * Patients with metastatic disease * Diabetes mellitus * Pregnancy or lactation * Significant food allergies that would make the person unable to consume the food provided * Refusal to participate in the proposed clinical trial
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Rectal adenocarcinoma are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, IRCCS
RECRUITINGRome, Italy
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- New injectable drug tested against Hard-to-Treat solid tumors
- Robotic surgery vs standard approaches: does the platform change cancer outcomes?
- Could a nasal tube replace a temporary ileostomy after rectal cancer surgery?
- Blood test aims to catch Cancer's return earlier
- Blood test guides immunotherapy for hidden cancer cells
- Can two immunotherapy drugs help rectal cancer patients skip pelvic radiation?