Dietary Fiber During Radiotherapy - a Placebo-controlled Randomized Trial

Gynecologic Cancer Clinical Trial

— FIDURA  

Official title:

Dietary Fiber During Radiotherapy and Intestinal Inflammation - a Placebo-controlled Randomized Trial (FIDURA)

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT04534075
• Other study ID #: ALFGBG-926 421
• Secondary ID: 2018-029662020-0
• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: Phase 3
• Start date: September 2, 2020
• Est. completion date: December 31, 2024

Study information

• Verified date: April 2023
• Source: Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Sweden
• Contact: Rebecca Ahlin, M.Sc.
• Phone: +46 76 618 51 30
• Email: rebecca.ahlin[@]vgregion.se
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The investigators hypothesize that an increase in dietary fiber intake during radiation therapy may provide better long-term intestinal health for the cancer survivor. If the hypothesis is not correct, the increased intake may only mean an increase in acute side effects. All participants are advised to consume at least 16 g of dietary fiber/day via food. In addition, participants are invited to take capsules that together contain either 5.5 g of dietary fiber from psyllium husk or placebo.

Description:

The overall working hypothesis is that intake of dietary fiber during radiotherapy can mitigate or hinder end states or the triggering of long-lasting pathophysiological processes that decreases intestinal health in the cancer survivor. If correct, there is a dose-effect relationship to be documented. Moreover, if correct, different kinds of dietary fibers may have different effects. Mechanisms for the mitigatory effects may be that dietary fiber helps to preserve the two protective mucus layers and hinder gut-wall starvation. Lack of protection, as well as gut-wall starvation, may decrease the gut walls' integrity. That, in turn, may enhance bacterial migration from the lumen into the gut wall, causing unnecessary inflammation. This inflammation may, in turn, lead to a number of different pathophysiological processes, including a chronic self-propagating low-grade inflammation. Clinical experience suggests the intake of dietary fiber during radiotherapy may increase acute intestinal side effects. Our own data suggest a modest, if any, increase by dietary fiber.

Through recipes of tasty meals by price-winning chefs and general advice, the investigators guide the participant to try to consume at least 16 g of dietary fiber per day via food. The guidance takes place through telephone calls, calls via video link, and text on a website or paper material. The participant gets access to a mobile application that measures the daily intake of dietary fiber. Dietary fiber is ingested in 15 capsules with psyllium husk which contains a total of 5.5 g of dietary fiber. The investigators ask the participant to take the capsules two weeks before radiotherapy, during radiotherapy, and to stop four weeks after the end of radiotherapy. Placebo capsules (maltodextrin) are taken in the same way. To document the frequency of acute side effects, and what symptoms they cause, the participant is asked to report patient-reported outcomes once a week via a mobile application. They are also welcome to report side effects to the study office.

One month after the end of radiotherapy, the degree of inflammation is measured via markers in the blood and feces. One year after the end of radiotherapy, intestinal health is measured via patient-reported outcomes. Blood and feces are collected and patient-reported outcomes are reported in questionnaires and a mobile application before, during, and at least one year after the end of radiotherapy. This data will be a source of in-depth analysis. Radiotherapy gives rise to increased intensity of five different syndromes, fecal-leakage syndrome, urgency syndrome, uncontrolled flatulence, excess mucus discharge, and anal blood discharge. Damage of nerves and small vessels, weakening the anal-sphincter function by muscle fibers turning into the connective tissue (fibrosis), may explain some of the intensity of the fecal-leakage syndrome. An ongoing self-propagating low-grade inflammation, small-vessel and nerve damage in the gut wall may be related to urgency. Reasonably the microbiome, and the communication between the microbiome and the gut wall, is related to uncontrolled flatulence and excess mucus discharge. It is not known to what extent telangiectasias on a fibrotic inner gut wall explains anal blood discharge. Ad hoc studies in FIDURA will explore suggested mechanisms.

An interim analysis will be performed for the primary outcome to identify if there is any effect of the intervention, to decide whether to continue or terminate the inclusion of patients in the study. The concentration of c-reactive protein will be analyzed for all included patients who have donated blood to date (May 2023). To ensure that the blinding is not revealed, all analyses (biochemical and statistical) will be made by external personnel not included in the research group. The capsules are marked with X and Y, and the code for which is intervention or placebo will not be revealed even for the external personnel performing the interim analysis.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Recruiting
• Enrollment: 600
• Est. completion date: December 31, 2024
• Est. primary completion date: December 31, 2023
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years to 80 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Planned preoperative (neoadjuvant) or curative radiation therapy for a tumor in the pelvic cavity (including all forms of gynecological cancer, colorectal cancer, anal cancer, prostate cancer, and urinary bladder cancer).

Exclusion Criteria:

• Preoperative stoma which, according to the attending physician, prevents participation

• Difficulty swallowing or ileus conditions which, according to the treating physician, prevent participation

• Cognitive dysfunction which, according to the treating physician, prevents participation

• Need for an interpreter to communicate in Swedish

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Colorectal Neoplasms
• Gynecologic Cancer
• Malignant Neoplasm
• Malignant Neoplasm of Anus
• Malignant Neoplasm of Cervix
• Malignant Neoplasm of Colon
• Malignant Neoplasm of Large Intestine
• Malignant Neoplasm of Ovary
• Malignant Neoplasm of Prostate
• Malignant Neoplasm of Rectum
• Malignant Neoplasm of Urinary Bladder
• Neoplasms
• Ovarian Neoplasms
• Prostatic Neoplasms
• Urinary Bladder Neoplasms
• Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

Intervention

Biological:
• Capsules containing either dietary fiber or placebo
The participants are invited to eat 15 capsules per day. The capsules either contain dietary fiber from psyllium husk or placebo.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Sweden	Jubileumskliniken, Sahlgrenska University Hospital	Gothenburg

Sponsors (4)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Sweden	Sjöbergstiftelsen, The Swedish Research Council, VGregion

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Sweden, 

References & Publications (12)

Ahlin R, Sjoberg F, Bull C, Steineck G, Hedelin M. [Differing dietary advice are given to gynaecological and prostate cancer patients receiving radiotherapy in Sweden]. Lakartidningen. 2018 Oct 9;115:FALY. Swedish. — View Citation

Alsadius D, Olsson C, Pettersson N, Tucker SL, Wilderang U, Steineck G. Patient-reported gastrointestinal symptoms among long-term survivors after radiation therapy for prostate cancer. Radiother Oncol. 2014 Aug;112(2):237-43. doi: 10.1016/j.radonc.2014.08.008. Epub 2014 Sep 4. — View Citation

Bull C, Malipatlolla D, Kalm M, Sjoberg F, Alevronta E, Grander R, Sultanian P, Persson L, Bostrom M, Eriksson Y, Swanpalmer J, Wold AE, Blomgren K, Bjork-Eriksson T, Steineck G. A novel mouse model of radiation-induced cancer survivorship diseases of the gut. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2017 Nov 1;313(5):G456-G466. doi: 10.1152/ajpgi.00113.2017. Epub 2017 Jul 20. — View Citation

Hedelin M, Skokic V, Wilderang U, Ahlin R, Bull C, Sjoberg F, Dunberger G, Bergmark K, Stringer A, Steineck G. Intake of citrus fruits and vegetables and the intensity of defecation urgency syndrome among gynecological cancer survivors. PLoS One. 2019 Jan 2;14(1):e0208115. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0208115. eCollection 2019. — View Citation

Lind H, Alevronta E, Steineck G, Waldenstrom AC, Nyberg T, Olsson C, Wilderang U, Dunberger G, Al-Abany M, Avall-Lundqvist E. Defecation into clothing without forewarning and mean radiation dose to bowel and anal-sphincter among gynecological cancer survivors. Acta Oncol. 2016 Nov;55(11):1285-1293. doi: 10.1080/0284186X.2016.1176247. Epub 2016 May 13. — View Citation

Malipatlolla DK, Patel P, Sjoberg F, Devarakonda S, Kalm M, Angenete E, Lindskog EB, Grander R, Persson L, Stringer A, Wilderang U, Swanpalmer J, Kuhn HG, Steineck G, Bull C. Long-term mucosal injury and repair in a murine model of pelvic radiotherapy. Sci Rep. 2019 Sep 24;9(1):13803. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-50023-4. — View Citation

Patel P, Malipatlolla DK, Devarakonda S, Bull C, Rascon A, Nyman M, Stringer A, Tremaroli V, Steineck G, Sjoberg F. Dietary Oat Bran Reduces Systemic Inflammation in Mice Subjected to Pelvic Irradiation. Nutrients. 2020 Jul 22;12(8):2172. doi: 10.3390/nu12082172. — View Citation

Sjoberg F, Malipatlolla DK, Patel P, Wilderang U, Kalm M, Steineck G, Bull C. Elastase as a potential biomarker for radiation-induced gut wall injury of the distal bowel in an experimental mouse model. Acta Oncol. 2018 Aug;57(8):1025-1030. doi: 10.1080/0284186X.2018.1438652. Epub 2018 Feb 15. — View Citation

Steineck G, Schmidt H, Alevronta E, Sjoberg F, Bull CM, Vordermark D. Toward Restored Bowel Health in Rectal Cancer Survivors. Semin Radiat Oncol. 2016 Jul;26(3):236-50. doi: 10.1016/j.semradonc.2016.03.002. Epub 2016 Mar 18. — View Citation

Steineck G, Sjoberg F, Skokic V, Bull C, Wilderang U, Alevronta E, Dunberger G, Bergmark K, Jornsten R. Late radiation-induced bowel syndromes, tobacco smoking, age at treatment and time since treatment - gynecological cancer survivors. Acta Oncol. 2017 May;56(5):682-691. doi: 10.1080/0284186X.2017.1307519. Epub 2017 Apr 1. — View Citation

Steineck G, Skokic V, Sjoberg F, Bull C, Alevronta E, Dunberger G, Bergmark K, Wilderang U, Oh JH, Deasy JO, Jornsten R. Identifying radiation-induced survivorship syndromes affecting bowel health in a cohort of gynecological cancer survivors. PLoS One. 2017 Feb 3;12(2):e0171461. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0171461. eCollection 2017. — View Citation

Thor M, Olsson CE, Oh JH, Petersen SE, Alsadius D, Bentzen L, Pettersson N, Muren LP, Waldenstrom AC, Hoyer M, Steineck G, Deasy JO. Relationships between dose to the gastro-intestinal tract and patient-reported symptom domains after radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer. Acta Oncol. 2015;54(9):1326-34. doi: 10.3109/0284186X.2015.1063779. Epub 2015 Sep 4. — View Citation

* Note: There are 12 references in all — Click here to view all references

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Other	Composition of microbiota	Metrics obtained from freshly frozen defecated feces. The investigators plan to use next-generation sequencing.	During, one month and one year after radiotherapy
Primary	Sign of inflammation i blood	Concentration of c-reactive protein in plasma or serum	One month after the end of radiotherapy
Primary	Intensity of the urgency syndrome	Patient-reported outcomes through a validated questionnaire. The metric for the intensity of the urgency syndrome weighs the frequency of several symptoms by factor loadings, as described in PubMed ID 28158314. Examples of the previous usage can be seen in PubMed ID 28366105 and PubMed ID 30601820.	One year after the end of radiotherapy
Secondary	Tolerance to additional dietary fiber	Deviation from the recommended intake of 15 capsules per day	During radiotherapy
Secondary	Signs of inflammation i blood	Concentration of selected markers in blood and feces. The selection of cytokines and chemokines for this outcome is work in progress 26 august 2020 and will be be given as updated information later on. In feces we will primarily use elastase and calprotectin.	One month after the end of radiotherapy
Secondary	Intensity of the fecal-leakage syndrome, uncontrolled flatulence, excess mucus discharge and blood	Patient-reported outcomes through a validated questionnaire. The metric for the intensity of the syndromes weighs the frequency of several symptoms by factor loadings, as described in PubMed ID 28158314. Examples of the previous usage can be seen in PubMed ID 28366105 and PubMed ID 30601820.	One year after the end of radiotherapy
Secondary	Acute side-effects	Distress from gastrointestinal symptoms as reported through a mobile phone application (ePROMS). Primarily we ask for defecation frequency, stool consistency (Bristol Scale), and frequency of abdominal pain. The participants may also report other side-effects, either by the mobile phone application, video link, or telephone with the study secretariat.	During radiotherapy, primarily during week 3

External Links

•   The study's website. Researchers who want to be able to log in, please write to Gunnar.Steineck@gu.se.