A study looking at lifestyle changes after treatment for bowel cancer

Please note this trial is no longer recruiting patients.

This is a study to find out if people who have been treated for colorectal cancer are interested in making changes to their lifestyle.

We know from research that changes to our lifestyle can help prevent or reduce our risk of getting some types of cancer.

Researchers want to find out if people are interested in making lifestyle changes after treatment for bowel cancer (colorectal cancer). They also want to find the best way to help people do this.

In this study, researchers are looking at changes that you can make to your diet and how much physical activity you do. This study will not change the routine care you receive from the doctors treating your cancer.

The aim of this study is to find out if people are interested in making changes to their lifestyle following treatment for bowel cancer. The researchers also want to find out if their study helps people to make lifestyle changes.

Recruitment

Start 01/02/2011

End 01/09/2011

Phase

Pilot

Who can enter

You can enter this trial if you

Have finished treatment for cancer of the large bowel (colon) or back passage (rectum) in the last six months
Are at least 18 years old

Trial design

This is a pilot study. It will recruit 30 people. Researchers hope this will lead to a larger study in the future.

At the start of the study you will meet a member of the study team and complete a questionnaire. The questions are about

Your diet
How much physical activity you do

The researcher will also ask you other questions about your lifestyle. They will then give you a small device called an actigraph. This will be worn on the waist and measures your physical activity during the day. It does not hurt and the research team will show you how it works. You will wear the actigraph for 7 days, and then return it to them. They will also give you written information about healthy diet, physical activity and a pedometer (to measure how many steps you do).

The study lasts for 3 months. During this time, a researcher will contact you by phone every other week. Each call will take about half an hour and will be at a time that is convenient for you. They will ask you to keep a diary of how much fruit, vegetables, red and processed meat you eat and how active you are. They will also talk to you about how you can make small changes to improve your diet and the amount of activity you do, particularly walking.

At the end of the study you will wear the actigraph again for 7 days and meet the researcher for a second time to complete another questionnaire.

If you agree to take part in this study, the researchers will ask your permission to take a sample of blood at the beginning and end of the study. This will not involve extra hospital visits as the blood tests are taken during your visit to the hospital. You do not have to give this extra sample for research if you do not want to. You can still take part in the trial.

The blood sample will be used to find out about vitamins and minerals in your blood.

Hospital visits

This study will involve 2 visits to University College London (UCL). One visit at the start of the study and one at the end. You will be able to claim travelling expenses.