Modifying Your Diet to Support Muscle During Cancer Treatment.

In a person with cancer, low muscle mass and strength increases the risks of suffering from severe complications of the disease, its treatment, and dying. To prevent muscle loss in cancer, stimulating muscle protein anabolism (growth) by fueling muscles with protein is crucial. Dairy products are not only a source of high-quality protein but are a preferred food choice for cancer patients as they progress through chemotherapy treatment. Although commercially available oral nutritional supplements containing essential amino acids are often promoted for protein anabolism, these products are not preferred by cancer patients. Moreover, our research group has shown that patients consuming oral nutritional supplements actually lose more weight than those who chose regular whole-food items. Evidence of the health effects of consuming dairy products is needed to influence dietary recommendations for people with cancer. The objective of our study is to perform a clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of dairy products to maintain muscle mass and strength and improve patient outcomes in people undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer.

Sex

All

Minimum age

18 Years

Inclusion Criteria:

* Patients with a confirmed diagnosis of lung cancer scheduled for platinum-based chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy.
* Patients with a computed tomography (CT) image, which includes scans of the 3rd lumbar region, taken within 45 days before initiation of chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy.
* Ability to maintain oral intake.
* Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status ≤2 / Karnofsky Performance Status between 60-100.
* Ability to give written, informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Co-morbidities that would be expected to interfere with the primary outcome measure (e.g. neuromuscular diseases).
* Patients on long term drugs or supplements that modify muscle metabolism (e.g. corticosteroids, anti-androgens, omega-3 fatty acids).
* Life expectancy \<3 months.
* Severe food restriction(s) (e.g. food allergy, intolerance or dietary pattern) that would inhibit the study intervention food modification.
* An inability to comply with study instructions.
* Patients engaged in a total of ≥50 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous cardiovascular exercise per week and/or structured resistance exercise occurring ≥2 times per week.