Diet Composition, Weight Control, and Breast Carcinogenesis

Completed · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Breast Cancer

In brief

In the United States, overweight (BMI \> 25 but \< 30 Kg/m2) and obesity (BMI \> 30Kg/m2) are increasing at epidemic rates. A significant association exists between being overweight or obese and breast cancer recurrence and survival. However, evidence continues to accumulate indicating that achieving or maintaining a healthy weight for height (Body Mass Index, BMI, 18.5-25Kg/m2) is associated with a reduced risk for breast cancer and with a decrease in breast cancer associated mortality. Despite this, there is a lack of randomized controlled trials exploring this association and how the process of fat loss or being successful in actually reaching a healthy weight for height differentially affects biomarkers for cancer recurrence. Many dietary approaches for weight loss are currently available to the public, and each purports to offer advantages. However, there is little scientific evidence to indicate how these dietary approaches, some of which vary markedly in the foods that they limit or exclude, affect biomarkers for breast cancer risk. In particular, it is not know whether the critical factor in relation to weight and breast cancer is simply weight loss (negative energy balance), irrespective of the manner in which it is achieved, or if certain dietary approaches affect breast cancer risk biomarkers more favorably than others. Published data from our laboratory suggest that dietary pattern does matter, and therefore the goal of this study is to investigate the effects of two popular weight loss dietary approaches that differ in the extent to which they limit carbohydrate or fat consumption (with effects on dietary glycemic load) compared to a usual care group on prognostic markers for cancer recurrence in postmenopausal breast cancer survivors. The investigators hypothesize that in addition to the anticipated effects of fat loss on circulating levels of bioavailable sex steroid hormones, that the effects of excess fat on breast cancer prognosis can be attributed to three interrelated metabolic processes that affect cancer progression: altered glucose metabolism, chronic inflammation and excessive cellular oxidation.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT01315483

Run by

Colorado State University

People needed

259

Starts

2008-09-01

Expected to finish

2012-06-01

Last updated by the study team

2013-02-15

Who can join

Age: 21 and older. Sex: female. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Female breast cancer survivors
• Staged, resected breast cancer (> 4-months post radiation treatment, chemotherapy or surgery)
• Post-menopausal (no menses for > 6 months)
• No evidence of metastatic breast disease
• Willing to follow the diet plan prescribed
• Willing to follow the guidelines for alcohol consumption (no more than 1 standard alcoholic drink per day where one serving is defined as 12oz beer, 5 oz wine OR 1 oz hard liquor)
• Willing to maintain or increase current physical activity level
• Willing to wear a pedometer and keep a daily record of steps
• Willing to wear heart rate/ accelerometer device (Actiheart) continuously (24/7) for one week at the start and end of the study
• Willing to wear a body or swim suit and cap for body composition tests
• Willing to record food intake daily
• Willing to come to RMCC Rose for 11 individual and 5 group sessions over a 6 month period
• Willing to provide urine and fasting blood samples at 7 visits during the study
• Willing to make the commitment it takes to lose weight for the study
• Must have a Body Mass Index between 25Kg/m2 to 35Kg/m2.

You may not qualify if…

• Anticipates having surgery during the next 6 months
• Follows a special diet, e.g. gluten free, casein free, dairy free, vegetarian or other
• Lost 4 or more pounds during the previous month
• Taking weight loss medications during the study
• Being treated by a physician for diabetes
• Has an eating disorder
• Has digestive problems such as IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), Crohn's or other
• Has had surgery involving constriction or removal of any portion of the gastrointestinal tract (gastric bypass, lap-band, bowel resection, colostomy etc.
• Diagnosed with hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV
• Has electronic devices implanted in their body (pacemaker, vagus nerve stimulator)
• Must not use any tobacco products

Where it is running

• Rocky Mountain Cancer Center — Denver, Colorado, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

Trial information comes from ClinicalTrials.gov and is refreshed daily. TrialsForMe does not provide medical care and does not run the studies it lists.