FatigueNCT04293874
Adaptive Symptom Care Using Fish-Based Nutritional Directives Post Breast Cancer
A study testing Personalized Meal Plan and Dietary Omega-3LC intervention in people with Fatigue and Depression, run by University of Connecticut at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Inflammation has been consistently associated with psychoneurological symptoms (PNS) among breast cancer survivors (BCS). Evidence supporting interventional strategies promoting symptom-self management in reducing inflammation-induced PNS in BCS is limited. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 35 to 70 years, women only
- Conditions the study is for
- Fatigue, Depression, Pain
- What is being tested?
- Personalized Meal Plan and Dietary Omega-3LC intervention
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 98 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 11 Apr 2018to 1 Nov 2020
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 35 to 70 years
- Women only
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- diagnosed with BCA between 1 and 2 years prior to study enrollment
- completed chemotherapy (except tamoxifen/aromatase inhibitors) and/or radiation
- no evidence of cancer recurrence;
- no chronic medical conditions involving the immune system or regular use of immunosuppressive medications;
- no history of previous chemotherapy or cancer
- no diagnosis of dementia or active psychosis;
- 30-75 years of age
- Able/willing to sign informed consent.
Who cannot join
- Women not meeting the inclusion criteria above;
- Non English-speaking
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Hartford HealthCare Cancer Institue
Hartford, Connecticut, 06102
About this study
Official title: Association Between Dietary Omega-3 Fatty Acid Intake Patterns and Psychoneurological Symptoms in Women Following Treatment for Early-stage Breast Cancer
Inflammation has been consistently associated with psychoneurological symptoms (PNS) among breast cancer survivors (BCS). Evidence supporting interventional strategies promoting symptom-self management in reducing inflammation-induced PNS in BCS is limited. Current guidelines for BCS encourage the consumption of foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids. The omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), abundantly available in fish, has a role in inflammatory downregulation. Low dietary DHA has been associated with inflammation and fatigue in BCS. Dietary planning targeting increased fish consumption thereby reducing red and processed meats are components of the major nutritional recommendations for BCS. A critical gap exists in knowledge regarding interventions promoting adherence to dietary guidelines in BCS supporting PNS self-management. This investigation uses personalized meal planning among BCSs (n=150) who are 1-2 years post-treatment for early-stage breast cancer and experiencing PNS (pain, fatigue, depression, sleep disturbance, stress) to evaluate the feasibility of a personalized meal planning approach in supporting adherence to current dietary guidelines for BCS. As a first step in this program of research, we will evaluate the feasibility of an personalized meal planning approach in promoting adherence to dietary guidelines for BCS through evaluating the feasibility of a personalized meal planning approach in a cohort of BCSs with respect to recruitment, group allocation, salivary inflammatory quantification and receptivity to and adherence with dietary interventions. This investigation will also contribute to a preliminarily evaluation of the efficacy of high or low fish diet in reducing inflammation (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-a) and PNS symptoms. Nationally, there is a priority for the development of personalized health strategies supporting self-management of adverse symptoms. This investigation focused on PNS in BCS is an initial step in generating new knowledge in efficacious approaches toward guiding decisions on dietary behavior change strategies that are personalized, cost-effective, and sustainable.
- Conditions
- Fatigue, Depression, Pain, Sleep Disturbance, Stress, Survivorship
- Being tested
- Personalized Meal Plan, Dietary Omega-3LC intervention
- Keywords
- breast cancer survivor, dietary omega-3 intervention, psychoneurological symptoms
- Medical subject headings
- Fatigue, Depression, Pain, Parasomnias, Breast Neoplasms, Feeding Behavior
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Personalized Meal PlanBehavioural
Personalized dietary plans will be developed incorporating the NPAGCS, while personalizing the plan based upon anthropometric characteristics, gender, age and self-reported activity level upon entry into the investigation, goals, typical dietary consumption patterns, and food preferences. A trained research assistant will use the USDA MyPlate88 site (www.choosemyplate.gov) to enter participant characteristics and determine the appropriate calorie level. A daily checklist will be then generated outlining the number of daily servings that should be consumed for each food group. Information will also be provided regarding serving sizes for different foods in the respective food groups and education will be provided regarding tailoring personal dietary preferences to meet the guidelines. Participants will be provided with a printed copy of their meal plan and instructed to initiate it for a 8-week period.
Dietary Omega-3LC interventionBehavioural
Following randomization, participants will be provided with fish to be consumed for 6 weeks. As a component of the dietary intervention, participants in high and low omega-3LC group will be provided with frozen, wild caught salmon (or if they dislike salmon, prepackaged, individual use foil packs of chunk light tuna). Salmon and chunk light tuna were chosen due to high omega-3LC content, low methylmercury content, low cost and ease of use. Vacuum packed, frozen salmon will be delivered to participants in large freezer bags and instructed to arrange visit times to ensure they can go directly home following the visit. Instructions for safe storage, fish handling and recipes to avoid fatigue of fish will be also be provided to participants when they receive the fish.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Low Omega-3LC group | Experimental | Participants will consume a personalized meal plan for 2 weeks and consume an increased quantity of fish to 6 oz. wild salmon (1 steak, 6oz /steak)or 14.3 oz. (5.5 packs, 2.6 oz/pack) of chunk light tuna (1020 mg Omega-3LC/week) for 6 weeks. Receives: Behavioral: Personalized Meal Plan; Behavioral: Dietary Omega-3LC intervention |
| High Omega-3LC group | Experimental | Participants will consume a personalized meal plan for 2 weeks and consume an increased quantity of fish to 12 oz. wild salmon (2 steak,12 oz /steak)or 28.6 oz. (11 packs, 2.6 oz/pack) of chunk light tuna (2040 mg Omega-3LC/week) for 6 weeks. Receives: Behavioral: Personalized Meal Plan; Behavioral: Dietary Omega-3LC intervention |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change from baseline depressive symptom at week 10
Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale is 20-item self-report instrument. Each item is scored 0-4 at a 4-point scale, yielding a total between 0 and 80. A higher score indicates a worse depressive symptom.
Measured: baseline, Week 3 and Week 10
Change from baseline pain at week 10
Brief Pain Inventory short form assesses the severity of pain, location of pain, pain medications, amount of pain relief in the past 24 hours or the past week, and the impact of pain on daily functions. Each item is scored 0-10 at a 10-point scale, with 0 representing no pain or no pain interference and 10 representing worst pain or complete pain interference. The mean of 4 severity items will be used as a measure of pain severity, and the mean of the 7 interference items will be used as a measure of pain interference.
Measured: baseline, Week 3 and Week 10
Change from baseline fatigue at week 10
Brief Fatigue Inventory short form is a 9-item scale to assess cancer-related fatigue and its impact on daily functioning. Each item score 0-10 at a 10-point scale. On the BFI, severe fatigue can be defined as a mean score of 7 or higher.
Measured: baseline, Week 3 and Week 10
Change from baseline sleep disturbance at week 10
The 21-item General Sleep Disturbance Scale consists of items evaluating various aspects of sleep disturbance (quality and quantity of sleep, sleep onset latency, number of awakenings, excessive daytime sleepiness, and medication use) over the past week. Items are rated on a scale ranging from 0 (never) to 7 (every day). All items are summed to produce a total score ranging from 0 (no sleep disturbance) to 147 (extreme sleep disturbance).
Measured: baseline, Week 3 and Week 10
Change from baseline perceived stress at week 10
Levels of stress will be measured by the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale. Each item is rated on a 5-point scale ranging from 0 (never) to 4 (very often). The final score is obtained by reversing responses to the four positively stated items and then summing across all scale items. A higher score represents a higher perceived stress.
Measured: baseline, Week 3 and Week 10
Secondary outcomes (1)
Change from baseline salivary inflammatory markers at week 10
To quantify salivary inflammatory markers (CRP, IL-1β, IL-6, TNFα), salivary samples will be collected at baseline, week 3, and 10 during the study period. Salivary assay kits (multiplex) specific to the inflammatory markers of interest will be used to quantify salivary samples according to established protocols.
Measured: 3 years
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted3 Mar 2020
- Study start11 Apr 2018
- Primary completion1 Nov 2020
- Study completion1 Nov 2020
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for FatigueStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 98 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Connecticut
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Hartford HealthCare, Seafood Industry Research Fund, Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Michelle Judge, University of Connecticut
- Investigators
- Michelle P Judge, PhD, Principal investigator, University of Connecticut
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04293874
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- E-HHC-2016-0245
- Status last verified
- Sep 2025
- First submitted
- 27 Feb 2020
- Last updated
- 9 Sep 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 9 Sep 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Association Between Dietary Omega-3 Fatty Acid Intake Patterns and Psychoneurological Symptoms in Women Following Treatment for Early-stage Breast Cancer
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04293874
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- E-HHC-2016-0245
- Conditions
- Fatigue, Depression, Pain, Sleep Disturbance, Stress, Survivorship
- Keywords
- breast cancer survivor, dietary omega-3 intervention, psychoneurological symptoms
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 98 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of ConnecticutUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Hartford HealthCare, Seafood Industry Research Fund, Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
- Study start
- 11 Apr 2018 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Nov 2020 (actual)
- Study completion
- 1 Nov 2020 (actual)
- First posted
- 3 Mar 2020 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Inflammation has been consistently associated with psychoneurological symptoms (PNS) among breast cancer survivors (BCS). Evidence supporting interventional strategies promoting symptom-self management in reducing inflammation-induced PNS in BCS is limited. Current guidelines for BCS encourage the consumption of foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids. The omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), abundantly available in fish, has a role in inflammatory downregulation. Low dietary DHA has been associated with inflammation and fatigue in BCS. Dietary planning targeting increased fish consumption thereby reducing red and processed meats are components of the major nutritional recommendations for BCS. A critical gap exists in knowledge regarding interventions promoting adherence to dietary guidelines in BCS supporting PNS self-management. This investigation uses personalized meal planning among BCSs (n=150) who are 1-2 years post-treatment for early-stage breast cancer and experiencing PNS (pain, fatigue, depression, sleep disturbance, stress) to evaluate the feasibility of a personalized meal planning approach in supporting adherence to current dietary guidelines for BCS. As a first step in this program of research, we will evaluate the feasibility of an personalized meal planning approach in promoting adherence to dietary guidelines for BCS through evaluating the feasibility of a personalized meal planning approach in a cohort of BCSs with respect to recruitment, group allocation, salivary inflammatory quantification and receptivity to and adherence with dietary interventions. This investigation will also contribute to a preliminarily evaluation of the efficacy of high or low fish diet in reducing inflammation (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-a) and PNS symptoms. Nationally, there is a priority for the development of personalized health strategies supporting self-management of adverse symptoms. This investigation focused on PNS in BCS is an initial step in generating new knowledge in efficacious approaches toward guiding decisions on dietary behavior change strategies that are personalized, cost-effective, and sustainable.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Low Omega-3LC group | Experimental | Behavioral: Personalized Meal Plan, Behavioral: Dietary Omega-3LC interventionParticipants will consume a personalized meal plan for 2 weeks and consume an increased quantity of fish to 6 oz. wild salmon (1 steak, 6oz /steak)or 14.3 oz. (5.5 packs, 2.6 oz/pack) of chunk light tuna (1020 mg Omega-3LC/week) for 6 weeks. |
| High Omega-3LC group | Experimental | Behavioral: Personalized Meal Plan, Behavioral: Dietary Omega-3LC interventionParticipants will consume a personalized meal plan for 2 weeks and consume an increased quantity of fish to 12 oz. wild salmon (2 steak,12 oz /steak)or 28.6 oz. (11 packs, 2.6 oz/pack) of chunk light tuna (2040 mg Omega-3LC/week) for 6 weeks. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 35 to 70 years
- Sex
- Female only
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (8 listed)
- diagnosed with BCA between 1 and 2 years prior to study enrollment
- completed chemotherapy (except tamoxifen/aromatase inhibitors) and/or radiation
- no evidence of cancer recurrence;
- no chronic medical conditions involving the immune system or regular use of immunosuppressive medications;
- no history of previous chemotherapy or cancer
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Women not meeting the inclusion criteria above;
- Non English-speaking
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Personalized Meal PlanPersonalized dietary plans will be developed incorporating the NPAGCS, while personalizing the plan based upon anthropometric characteristics, gender, age and self-reported activity level upon entry into the investigation, goals, typical dietary consumption patterns, and food preferences. A trained research assistant will use the USDA MyPlate88 site (www.choosemyplate.gov) to enter participant characteristics and determine the appropriate calorie level. A daily checklist will be then generated outlining the number of daily servings that should be consumed for each food group. Information will also be provided regarding serving sizes for different foods in the respective food groups and education will be provided regarding tailoring personal dietary preferences to meet the guidelines. Participants will be provided with a printed copy of their meal plan and instructed to initiate it for a 8-week period. | Behavioural | High Omega-3LC group, Low Omega-3LC group |
| Dietary Omega-3LC interventionFollowing randomization, participants will be provided with fish to be consumed for 6 weeks. As a component of the dietary intervention, participants in high and low omega-3LC group will be provided with frozen, wild caught salmon (or if they dislike salmon, prepackaged, individual use foil packs of chunk light tuna). Salmon and chunk light tuna were chosen due to high omega-3LC content, low methylmercury content, low cost and ease of use. Vacuum packed, frozen salmon will be delivered to participants in large freezer bags and instructed to arrange visit times to ensure they can go directly home following the visit. Instructions for safe storage, fish handling and recipes to avoid fatigue of fish will be also be provided to participants when they receive the fish. | Behavioural | High Omega-3LC group, Low Omega-3LC group |
Primary outcome
Change from baseline depressive symptom at week 10
Time frame: baseline, Week 3 and Week 10
Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale is 20-item self-report instrument. Each item is scored 0-4 at a 4-point scale, yielding a total between 0 and 80. A higher score indicates a worse depressive symptom.
Change from baseline pain at week 10
Time frame: baseline, Week 3 and Week 10
Brief Pain Inventory short form assesses the severity of pain, location of pain, pain medications, amount of pain relief in the past 24 hours or the past week, and the impact of pain on daily functions. Each item is scored 0-10 at a 10-point scale, with 0 representing no pain or no pain interference and 10 representing worst pain or complete pain interference. The mean of 4 severity items will be used as a measure of pain severity, and the mean of the 7 interference items will be used as a measure of pain interference.
Change from baseline fatigue at week 10
Time frame: baseline, Week 3 and Week 10
Brief Fatigue Inventory short form is a 9-item scale to assess cancer-related fatigue and its impact on daily functioning. Each item score 0-10 at a 10-point scale. On the BFI, severe fatigue can be defined as a mean score of 7 or higher.
Change from baseline sleep disturbance at week 10
Time frame: baseline, Week 3 and Week 10
The 21-item General Sleep Disturbance Scale consists of items evaluating various aspects of sleep disturbance (quality and quantity of sleep, sleep onset latency, number of awakenings, excessive daytime sleepiness, and medication use) over the past week. Items are rated on a scale ranging from 0 (never) to 7 (every day). All items are summed to produce a total score ranging from 0 (no sleep disturbance) to 147 (extreme sleep disturbance).
Change from baseline perceived stress at week 10
Time frame: baseline, Week 3 and Week 10
Levels of stress will be measured by the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale. Each item is rated on a 5-point scale ranging from 0 (never) to 4 (very often). The final score is obtained by reversing responses to the four positively stated items and then summing across all scale items. A higher score represents a higher perceived stress.
1 secondary outcome
Change from baseline salivary inflammatory markers at week 10
Time frame: 3 years
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 9 Sep 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Michelle P Judge, PhD principal investigator
University of Connecticut
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Personalized Meal Plan and Dietary Omega-3LC intervention in people with Fatigue and Depression, run by University of Connecticut at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 8 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 9 Sep 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change from baseline depressive symptom at week 10 (time frame: baseline, Week 3 and Week 10). The study lists 5 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 9 Sep 2025.