Can tailored meals ease lung cancer treatment side effects?
NCT ID NCT04986670
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study is testing whether providing medically tailored meals along with nutrition counseling can improve the health and well-being of lung cancer patients who are economically disadvantaged or from minority groups. About 299 patients from four U.S. medical centers will receive remote nutrition counseling and meals for 6 to 8 months. Researchers will track changes in diet, weight, food security, and common treatment side effects like fatigue and nausea.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- medically tailored meals plus nutrition counseling
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that combining tailored meals with counseling helps lung cancer patients eat better, feel less sick from treatment, and have a better quality of life.
- What could go wrong
- This is a behavioral intervention study, not a drug trial, so benefits may be modest. Results depend on patient adherence, and the study is still ongoing with no final outcomes yet.
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
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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
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299 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Nov 2020
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 to 100 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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: 1. Adults (18+ years of age) 2. Newly diagnosed patients with lung cancer (non-small cell and small cell lung cancer): * Patients with stages I-III lung cancer: 1\) starting multimodality therapy including chemoradiation (either concurrent or sequential), systemic treatment, or radiation alone; and may be followed by surgery; or 2) starting adjuvant therapy after lung resection ((chemotherapy alone, radiation alone, or chemoradiation (either concurrent or sequential)) * Patients with stage IV lung cancer or recurrent/metastatic: Eligible at diagnosis and for up to 3 months after starting treatment o Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status (PS) 0-3 3. Vulnerable patients who meet at least one of the following criteria: * Economically disadvantaged (household gross monthly income at or below 130% of the Federal Poverty Level) * Racial and ethnic minorities (African Americans, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Asians and Pacific Islanders, and Hispanics) * No health insurance * Elderly patients (ages 65 years or older) * Reside in rural areas (non-metropolitan counties with less than 50,000 people) 4. Voluntarily provide consent, HIPPA authorization form, and consent from treating oncologist. 5. Able to speak and read English themselves or with minimal help. 6. Able to receive medically-tailored meals for the course of the study if being assigned to the intervention arm, and willing to sign the MTM agreement. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Cognitively unable to consent or have physical or mental limitations that would prevent full participation in the program. 2. Have medical conditions that significantly impact digestion, metabolism, or food intake (e.g., surgical loss of esophagus, stomach, or colon; pancreas dysfunction; brain surgery that alters cognition; severe food allergies; etc.) or have active metabolic or digestive illnesses (i.e., Celiac disease, IBS, renal insufficiency, hepatic insufficiency). 3. Pregnant or planning to become pregnant during the study. 4. Unable to receive medically-tailored meals for the course of the study if being assigned to the intervention arm, including lack of a permanent address to which meals can be delivered (a friend or home address is acceptable given it is used on a consistent basis), not having a fully functioning kitchen with a microwave or oven for cooking, not having a standard-sized refrigerator with a freezer with storage capacity to hold one week's worth of meals; or unwilling to sign the MTM agreement.
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Fox Chase Cancer Center
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19111, United States
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MD Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, Texas, 77030, United States
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The James Cancer Hospital
Columbus, Ohio, 43210, United States
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Tufts Medical Center
Boston, Massachusetts, 02111, United States
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