Zora Djuric, Ph.D., research professor in the Department of Family Medicine, and Lorraine Buis, Ph.D., associate professor of Family Medicine and associate professor of Information in the School of Information at the University of Michigan, have received a five-year, $2.8 million RO1 grant from the National Institutes of Health. The project is titled, “MyGI Diet for Colorectal Cancer Prevention”. The grant is effective July 7, 2021 until June 30, 2026. The project number is 1R01CA255743-01A1.
The study’s long-term goal is to identify an intervention that could be incorporated as part of health maintenance care to help high-risk patients meet and maintain dietary cancer prevention goals.
The specific aim is to determine if an intervention that limits Western foods (i.e. foods containing refined flour, added sugars, processed and/or red meats) has similar effects as a comprehensive intervention on improving the diet and achieving modest weight loss in overweight and obese subjects who are at an increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). Colorectal cancer is the third most prevalent cancer in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society .
The study’s long-term goal is to identify an intervention that could be incorporated as part of health maintenance care to help high-risk patients meet and maintain dietary cancer prevention goals.
The study team anticipates recruiting patients in January 2022.
Colorectal cancer is among the cancers most strongly affected by diet and excess adiposity, which is a condition of being severely overweight or obese. This condition is increasing in young people below the age of 40. According to Djuric, more efforts need to be directed at providing people with the tools needed for achieving and maintaining a preventative diet.
This study will build on previous trials conducted by Djuric and Buis and will test two dietary interventions in overweight and obese people who have a strong family history of CRC or a personal history of CRC. The trial will recruit 240 participants who will be randomized to receive 12 months of either written information on preventative diets (the control group); a Western Limit Diet that encourages limiting foods associated with increased risk of CRC; or a Comprehensive Diet that combines goals for both limiting Western foods and consuming preventative foods.
The two interventions will be supported by written educational materials, brief phone contacts by a case manager, and a different module of the MyGI app for each diet. The app incorporates checklists to facilitate real-time goal tracking, tailored messaging, and real-time display of progress made.
The dietary changes are expected to improve nutrient intake and help individuals achieve a sustainable, slow rate of weight loss over time, which appears to be more favorable for cancer prevention than conventional obesity treatments.
“This project seeks to change how health maintenance care is provided in medical settings by identifying a feasible method that could help patients at increased risk of colorectal cancer meet and maintain a preventative diet,” Djuric said.
We congratulate Djuric and Buis on their NIH award and wish them the best of luck with their study!
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