Diet Rich in Fruits and Vegetables May Provide Beneficial Health Effects in Cancer Patients

Diet Effects Studied in Ovarian Cancer Patients*

ONE Clinical Trial Looks at Cancer Prevention

At the University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, a clinical trial is being done on women with ovarian cancer. The researchers are studying how diet affects the quality of life of ovarian cancer survivors in the Ovarian Cancer and Nutrition Education (ONE) Study.

77% of new ovarian cancer patients survive one year after diagnosis, yet it still causes more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. This fact has prompted the MD Anderson researchers to take a closer look at the role a healthy diet plays in improving nutritional status after treatment.

“Research suggests that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables may provide beneficial health effects in cancer patients,” says Lovell Jones, Ph.D., principal investigator on the ONE Study and director of M. D. Anderson's Center for Research on Minority Health.

The study focuses on diet rich in fruits andvegetables. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups:

• Counseling and supplements group – One group receives phone counseling to help participants follow dietary guidelines similar to those recommended by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). In addition, this group is asked to take specific nutrition supplements made of fruits, vegetables and a soy-based beverage.
  
  
• Counseling-only group – The other group receives phone counseling to help participants follow a low-fat diet (in keeping with the NCI guidelines) that is high in fruits, vegetables and fiber.

“Ovarian cancer survivors who participate in the ONE Study will have their nutritional status monitored for six months,” Jones says. “This is not a weight-loss program,” says Maria Schettino, research dietitian and study coordinator. “The ONE Study is a nutrition-based cancer prevention program that may be modified to meet the participant’s dietary needs.”

For more information and on enrollment qualifications call (713) 563-2756, or visit the ONE Study website.

*Source: Cancer Wise TM ©2006
The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center

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