Improving Sarcopenia in Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy With High-Protein Nutritional Supplementation

NCT ID: NCT07114588

Last Updated: 2025-11-20

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

57 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-01-23

Study Completion Date

2026-01-22

Brief Summary

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This study aims to investigate whether a high-protein nutritional supplement (ETHANWELL BALANCED) can help improve muscle strength and reduce fatigue in cancer patients who are at risk of sarcopenia (age- or disease-related muscle loss) during chemotherapy. Sarcopenia is common in older adults and cancer patients and can lead to weakness, poor treatment tolerance, and reduced quality of life.

Participants aged 40 and older, receiving chemotherapy, and showing early signs of sarcopenia will be randomly assigned to two groups. The experimental group will receive nutritional education and take a high-protein nutritional drink three times per day for 8 weeks. Both groups will continue their usual medical care and perform simple resistance exercises at home.

Researchers will measure changes in grip strength, fatigue, quality of life, and nutritional status over a 12-week period. This study will help determine whether early nutrition intervention can improve treatment outcomes and quality of life for cancer patients with sarcopenia.

Detailed Description

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Sarcopenia is a condition characterized by loss of muscle mass and strength, frequently observed in older adults and patients undergoing cancer treatment. It contributes to poor treatment tolerance, increased fatigue, longer hospital stays, and reduced quality of life. Early nutritional support may help reduce these complications.

This study is a prospective, randomized controlled trial investigating the effects of a high-protein oral nutritional supplement (ETHANWELL BALANCED) on muscle strength, fatigue, and quality of life in cancer patients with early-stage sarcopenia during chemotherapy. Participants will be randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group in a 2:1 ratio.

The intervention group will receive nutritional counseling and consume three servings of ETHANWELL BALANCED per day for 8 weeks, in addition to performing home-based resistance exercises. The control group will receive standard care and perform the same exercises. Follow-up assessments will occur at baseline and at weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12.

The primary aim is to determine whether early nutritional intervention can slow the progression of sarcopenia and improve patient outcomes during cancer treatment.

Conditions

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Early-stage Sarcopenia in Adult Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Nutritional Supplement + Elastic Band Training

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

ETHANWELL BALANCED

Intervention Type DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

A nutritional powder providing 250 kcal, 13.5 g protein (including 6.75 g whey protein and 2740 mg BCAAs), and 166.953 mg POLYCAN® (β-glucan) per serving. Administered 3 times daily for 8 weeks.

Elastic Band Training

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Participants perform 5 specific resistance exercises (push up \& press down, straight arm lift, seated rowing, squat, seated leg raise). Each exercise is done in 3 sets of 10 reps, 3 times per week, for 8 weeks.

Routine Care (Control Group)

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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ETHANWELL BALANCED

A nutritional powder providing 250 kcal, 13.5 g protein (including 6.75 g whey protein and 2740 mg BCAAs), and 166.953 mg POLYCAN® (β-glucan) per serving. Administered 3 times daily for 8 weeks.

Intervention Type DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Elastic Band Training

Participants perform 5 specific resistance exercises (push up \& press down, straight arm lift, seated rowing, squat, seated leg raise). Each exercise is done in 3 sets of 10 reps, 3 times per week, for 8 weeks.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

1. Age 40 and above.
2. Patients receiving chemotherapy or expected to undergo thoracic surgery (stage I\~IV)
3. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 to 2 and SARC-F score ≥ 4.
4. Grip strength: \<28kg for males and \<18kg for females.
5. Conscious and able to communicate.

Exclusion Criteria

1. Central nervous system disorders and chronic kidney failure.
2. Mental illness or inability to cooperate.
3. Expected survival period less than 3 months.
4. Gastrointestinal dysfunction-patients who have undergone gastric resection surgery or have intestinal obstruction.
5. Heart failure-NYHA class IV.
6. Uncontrollable infection diagnosed by a physician.
7. Poorly controlled diabetes diagnosed by a physician.
8. End-stage renal disease-requiring hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis.
9. Liver cirrhosis with severe ascites.
Minimum Eligible Age

40 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Ethan Nutraceutical Co., Ltd.

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role collaborator

National Taiwan University Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Hang Wang, PhD.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Hungkuang University

Locations

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National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH)

Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan

Site Status

Countries

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Taiwan

References

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Preventing effects of exopolymers purified from (EAP) supplementation and resistance exercise on muscle aging and loss in the Korean elderly: a randomized controlled trial (vol 13, pg 237, 2021). Toxicology and Environmental Health Sciences, 2021. 13(4): p. 429-429.

Reference Type RESULT

Bashir KMI, Choi JS. Clinical and Physiological Perspectives of beta-Glucans: The Past, Present, and Future. Int J Mol Sci. 2017 Sep 5;18(9):1906. doi: 10.3390/ijms18091906.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 28872611 (View on PubMed)

Laveneziana P, Albuquerque A, Aliverti A, Babb T, Barreiro E, Dres M, Dube BP, Fauroux B, Gea J, Guenette JA, Hudson AL, Kabitz HJ, Laghi F, Langer D, Luo YM, Neder JA, O'Donnell D, Polkey MI, Rabinovich RA, Rossi A, Series F, Similowski T, Spengler CM, Vogiatzis I, Verges S. ERS statement on respiratory muscle testing at rest and during exercise. Eur Respir J. 2019 Jun 13;53(6):1801214. doi: 10.1183/13993003.01214-2018. Print 2019 Jun.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 30956204 (View on PubMed)

Shimomura Y, Obayashi M, Murakami T, Harris RA. Regulation of branched-chain amino acid catabolism: nutritional and hormonal regulation of activity and expression of the branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase kinase. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2001 Sep;4(5):419-23. doi: 10.1097/00075197-200109000-00013.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 11568504 (View on PubMed)

Chou PY, Fasman GD. Structural and functional role of leucine residues in proteins. J Mol Biol. 1973 Mar 5;74(3):263-81. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(73)90372-0. No abstract available.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 4692853 (View on PubMed)

Neinast M, Murashige D, Arany Z. Branched Chain Amino Acids. Annu Rev Physiol. 2019 Feb 10;81:139-164. doi: 10.1146/annurev-physiol-020518-114455. Epub 2018 Nov 28.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 30485760 (View on PubMed)

Martinez-Arnau FM, Fonfria-Vivas R, Buigues C, Castillo Y, Molina P, Hoogland AJ, van Doesburg F, Pruimboom L, Fernandez-Garrido J, Cauli O. Effects of Leucine Administration in Sarcopenia: A Randomized and Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial. Nutrients. 2020 Mar 27;12(4):932. doi: 10.3390/nu12040932.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 32230954 (View on PubMed)

Fuchs CJ, Hermans WJH, Holwerda AM, Smeets JSJ, Senden JM, van Kranenburg J, Gijsen AP, Wodzig WKHW, Schierbeek H, Verdijk LB, van Loon LJC. Branched-chain amino acid and branched-chain ketoacid ingestion increases muscle protein synthesis rates in vivo in older adults: a double-blind, randomized trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2019 Oct 1;110(4):862-872. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqz120.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 31250889 (View on PubMed)

Choi JS, Kim JW, Kim KY, Cho HR, Choi IS, Ku SK. Antiosteoporotic effects of Polycan in combination with calcium lactate-gluconate in ovariectomized rats. Exp Ther Med. 2014 Sep;8(3):957-967. doi: 10.3892/etm.2014.1793. Epub 2014 Jun 20.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 25120630 (View on PubMed)

Lim JM, Lee YJ, Cho HR, Park DC, Jung GW, Ku SK, Choi JS. Extracellular polysaccharides purified from Aureobasidium pullulans SM-2001 (Polycan) inhibit dexamethasone-induced muscle atrophy in mice. Int J Mol Med. 2018 Mar;41(3):1245-1264. doi: 10.3892/ijmm.2017.3251. Epub 2017 Nov 10.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 29138805 (View on PubMed)

Provided Documents

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Document Type: Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Other Identifiers

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202409133RIFE

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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