Diet and Exercise in Supporting Patients with Pancreatic Cancer Undergoing Surgery

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. Determine feasibility of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in pancreatic cancer patients comparing the effects of diet alone with diet + exercise on pancreatic cancer-related functional and disease outcomes.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. Determine preliminary effect sizes within and between groups for functional outcomes (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group [ECOG] performance scale, objective physical functioning, self-reported quality of life [QOL]).

II. Collecting exploratory data related to within and between group differences for pancreatic cancer survival rates, recurrence rates, CA 19-9 (pancreatic cancer biomarker), serum cytokines, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation and gut microbiome in pancreatic cancer patients receiving diet versus diet + exercise intervention.

OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 groups.

GROUP I: Patients receive weekly nutrition counseling from a registered dietician by telephone, internet, or in person over 30-60 minutes for 6 months.

GROUP II: Patients receive weekly counseling from a registered dietician and an exercise trainer by telephone, internet, or in person over 30-60 minutes for 6 months. Patients also complete aerobic and resistance exercise intervention consisting of moderate intensity exercise gradually increasing to 150 minutes per week, 2-3 weekly sessions of resistance exercise, and toning/stretching on days other exercise is performed.