Our Research

Studies About to Start
      Physical Activity After Breast, Colon, or Rectal Cancer

Enrollment Open
      Orexigen Weight Loss Study
      FAB Weight Loss Study (FAB = Food, Attitude, Body)

On-Going Research (Enrollment Now Closed)
      WHEL Study (Women’s Healthy Eating and Living Study)
      Low Glycemic Load Diet and Breast Health Study
      MEAL Study (Men’s Eating and Living Study)
      ACS/UCSD Telephone Counseling Study (Healthy Eating Program)
      UCSD/Avon Foundation Telephone Counseling Study
      SHAPE (Survivors’ Health and Physical Exercise Study)

Completed Studies
      Adenomatous Polyp Prevention: Lifestyle and Eating (APPLE) Study

Services Available to Researchers
      Nutrition Shared Resource (Dietary Assessment & Counseling)
      UCSD Dietary Supplement Database

Studies About to Start

Physical Activity After Breast, Colon, or Rectal Cancer top

A pilot study will start soon to see if telephone counseling can increase physical activity levels in patients who have recently (within the past 12 months) finished treatment for breast cancer or cancer of the colon or rectum.  Call 858-822-6790 to receive notice when this study opens.

Enrollment Open

Orexigen Weight Loss Study top

This randomized clinical trial is to learn how much more effective an investigational new drug treatment to promote weight loss can be when combined with a comprehensive lifestyle modification program in helping people lose weight and keep it off.  We are recruiting 130 obese individuals (18-63 years of age) in otherwise good health to participate in this study. Phone 858-822-2236.

FAB Weight Loss Study (FAB = Food, Attitude, Body) top

This multi-center randomized clinical trial aims to test whether participation in the multifaceted commercial weight loss program is associated with a greater degree of weight loss and maintenance of that loss over a 24-month period, compared to usual care. We are recruiting 110 women who are overweight or obese to participate in this study at the UCSD site. Phone 858-822-2236.

On-Going Research (Enrollment Now Closed)

WHEL Study (Women’s Healthy Eating and Living Study) top

This study followed 3,088 breast cancer survivors for 6-11 years.  Participants were recruited between 1995 and 2000 from Arizona, California, Oregon, and Texas.  The women were randomly assigned to one of two healthy diet groups.  Key findings to date include:

• 5-7 servings/day of vegetables and fruits plus 30 minutes/day moderate exercise reduced mortality by 50%. More information here.
• Eating more than 7 servings/day of vegetables and fruits did not reduce recurrence or mortality. View the News Release and the Video.
• Women with higher serum carotenoids (indicating more colorful vegetables/fruits) had lower recurrence rates. More information here.

For more information on WHEL publications to date, click here.

Low Glycemic Load Diet and Breast Health Study top

This pilot study assessed the feasibility of a randomized trial to promote long-term adaptation of a low glycemic load diet among women at high risk for breast cancer.  50 subjects from the Buffalo, NY, area have been recruited and consented by Roswell Park Cancer Institute. The dietary assessment and counseling intervention are handled through UCSD by telephone from the Nutritional Services Shared Resource at the Moores UCSD Cancer Center (link to description of Shared Resource).

MEAL Study (Men’s Eating and Living Study) top

The MEAL Study was a multi-site pilot trial investigating whether our innovative telephone counseling program could help men previously treated for localized, low-risk prostate cancer adopt a cancer-preventive diet. The study enrolled 74 men 50-80 years of age who had been diagnosed with prostate cancer within the previous 48 months. Click here for more information about results of this pilot trial.

ACS/UCSD Telephone Counseling Study (Healthy Eating Program) top

The objective of this study was to adapt the highly successful WHEL Study counseling program, so that American Cancer Society (ACS) volunteers could use it to provide dietary counseling to callers to the ACS toll-free helpline. Funded by the American Cancer Society, nearly 700 men and women participated in this study between 2002 and 2005.  Preliminary results of data from the pilot phase of this study is here.  Additional analysis of the change achieved by those counseled by the UCSD counselors compared to those counseled by volunteer counselors will be completed soon.

UCSD/Avon Foundation Telephone Counseling Study top

This study provided breast cancer risk assessments to women between the ages of 25 and 70 years, along with education about lowering their breast cancer risk  (including modifying their diet). One of the objectives of the study was to determine whether this risk assessment and education motivated women to participate in a healthy eating program. Funded by the Avon Foundation, nearly 180 women participated in this study between 2002 and 2004.  Preliminary results of data from the pilot phase of this study is here.

SHAPE (Survivors’ Health and Physical Exercise Study) top

This study tests whether a multifaceted approach can achieve weight loss and maintenance in overweight or obese breast cancer survivors in a randomized clinical trial, involving 253 women who have been diagnosed and treated for early stage breast cancer.

Completed Studies

Adenomatous Polyp Prevention: Lifestyle and Eating (APPLE) Study top

This randomized clinical feasibility trial investigated the effect of a high-vegetable, high-fiber, high-calcium diet on the risk of developing colon cancer after polyp removal. The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute and involved 100 male and female participants.

Services Available to Researchers

In addition to dietary counseling, the Cancer Prevention and Control Program provides dietary assessment, and biochemical laboratory analysis services to other researchers through our Nutrition Shared Resource. Through this Resource, researchers are able to access the UCSD Dietary Supplement Database, which was developed and is maintained by our staff. This supplement database is one of the most extensive and detailed in the country with content data on over 6,000 formulations. By linking our dietary assessment software with the Supplement Database, we are able to provide researchers with detailed data on nutrient intake from dietary and supplement sources both separately and together, as well as descriptive data on types of supplements used (including herbals and botanicals).

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