In this pragmatic clinical trial, the investigators will study older Veterans approaching surgery for gastrointestinal or genitourinary cancer who are at high risk for a marked decline in their physical function. The investigators will test a multi-targeted nutrition regimen high in protein and other key nutrients and including resistance exercise, administered 8 weeks prior to surgery and for 24 weeks after discharge from surgery, with the goal of protecting physical function and improving physiologic, metabolic, and patient-centered outcomes. The findings of this study will promote a better intervention to compensate for the high nutritional demands of cancer and its treatment and lead to stronger, more rapid physical recoveries and better quality of life for older adults with moderate to advanced cancer-a group that has rarely been included in long-term nutrition studies. In addition to providing direct benefits to Veterans, the study may also benefit the VA by decreasing demands on the health care system via hastening the recovery of physical function.
Cancer
In this pragmatic clinical trial, the investigators will study older Veterans approaching surgery for gastrointestinal or genitourinary cancer who are at high risk for a marked decline in their physical function. The investigators will test a multi-targeted nutrition regimen high in protein and other key nutrients and including resistance exercise, administered 8 weeks prior to surgery and for 24 weeks after discharge from surgery, with the goal of protecting physical function and improving physiologic, metabolic, and patient-centered outcomes. The findings of this study will promote a better intervention to compensate for the high nutritional demands of cancer and its treatment and lead to stronger, more rapid physical recoveries and better quality of life for older adults with moderate to advanced cancer-a group that has rarely been included in long-term nutrition studies. In addition to providing direct benefits to Veterans, the study may also benefit the VA by decreasing demands on the health care system via hastening the recovery of physical function.
Preserving Physical Function in Older Adults With Cancer: Impact of an Optimizing Nutrition Intervention Applied Before and After Surgery
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Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC, Durham, North Carolina, United States, 27705-3875
Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.
For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.
60 Years to
ALL
No
VA Office of Research and Development,
Kathryn N. Starr, PhD, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC
2027-06-01