A Cancer Institution is Seeking to Address Food Insecurity in Patients With Cancer

The NOURISH trial (Nutrition Outreach in Systems of Healthcare) is seeking to investigate the impact of addressing food insecurity and malnutrition among patients with blood cancers undergoing transplant or cellular therapy, according to Dr. Anna Arthur, one of the study’s co-investigators. The multicenter trial aims to improve nutritional status, reduce malnutrition and enhance clinical outcomes in this vulnerable patient population.

“This trial could then pave the way for other health systems and cancer centers around the country to provide a similar program to patients who need it as part of their standard of care,” said Arthur, the Director of the Medical Nutrition Science Program, as well as a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition at the University of Kansas Medical Center. “That would be beneficial for food insecure patients, and maybe even someday, we could reach a point where we could provide food for all patients with cancer, regardless of food insecurity.”

In an interview with CURE®, Arthur expanded on the goal of the NOURISH trial, sharing how trial aims to simplify the process of accessing nutritious foods for these patients.

Transcript:

We'll be providing patients with bags of food that are provided by our food bank partners at each of the four cancer centers that we are doing this trial at. We're working in Kansas City with Harvesters Food Bank, and these food bags will provide enough food for two to three days of balanced nutrition for one person. When patients come into clinic for their cancer treatment, they'll receive their bags in a discrete manner, and they'll also be receiving bags two times per week.

We anticipate, by providing the food bag when they come in for their cancer treatment, we're ensuring that they have the food that they need to maintain their nutritional status, and that avoids having to procure the food themselves, either at a grocery store or at a food pantry, which can be a really major burden during a very stressful time in their life, when patients are not feeling well. Additionally, [if the patients are] food insecure, they may also lack resources like money and transportation to be able to go out and get food on their own.

In addition to the food bags, we're considering a website with recipes and video cooking demonstrations [in partnership] with the food banks so that patient and their care partners can know and don't have to figure out on their own how to use the content of the bags that they receive. [This provides] some education to help them manage the side effects they may be experiencing so that they can get the nutrition that they need, even if they are experiencing symptoms and side effects.

I'm hopeful that we will be successful in demonstrating positive outcomes; the positive outcomes that we're mainly looking at are cost effectiveness as well as reduced malnutrition or preventing malnutrition.

Transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

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