Maladaptive Adipose Tissue Activity in Cancer

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)

Status: Terminated

Conditions: Cancer Nos

Treatments: Other: Thermal Comfort Questionnaire; Procedure: Resting Energy Expenditure

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT03621124

MCC-17-13470

NCI-2018-01510 (Other Identifier)

P30CA016059 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

HM20009089 (Other Identifier)

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this pilot research is to study brown adipose tissue, a type of fat that increases metabolism (burns energy) during exposure to cold, and how it may contribute to the weight loss observed in cancer.

Full description

The purpose of this research is to study brown adipose tissue, a type of fat that increases metabolism (burns energy) during exposure to cold, and how it may contribute to the weight loss observed in cancer. Many patients affected by cancer lose weight, despite normal or increased nutrition. It may progress to the condition called "cancer-associated cachexia." Cancer associated cachexia is defined by an ongoing loss of skeletal muscle mass with or without the loss of fat mass, and may negatively affect quality of life and the ability to undergo cancer treatments. Metabolism is the breakdown of food by the body into the energy that your body needs.

Enrollment: 3 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 40+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• ≥ 40 years of age
• Have active cancer diagnosis.
• Have had a PET/CT scan within the past 12 months at time of enrollment.
• Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document

Exclusion criteria

• Current use of beta-blockers
• Women who are pregnant or unsure of their pregnancy status
• Women who are breastfeeding
• Suffers from severe claustrophobia
• Diagnosed with a serious psychiatric condition which could impede the judgement of the investigators, and/or the successful conduct of the recording.
• In remission stage for cancer diagnosis

Trial design

3 participants in 2 patient groups

Brown Adipose Tissue Positive patients

Description:

Patients with known malignancy and incidental finding of positron emission tomography/ computerized tomography (PET/CT) scans positive for brown adipose tissue (BAT). After obtaining informed consent and all initial screening visit procedures, patients will participate in two four-hour recording sessions in the whole room indirect calorimeter to assess resting energy expenditure, and patient's thermal (comfort) response to the temperature of the room.

Treatment:

Procedure: Resting Energy Expenditure

Other: Thermal Comfort Questionnaire

Brown Adipose Tissue Negative Patients

Description:

Patients with known malignancy and no evidence of brown adipose tissue BAT activity positron emission tomography/ computerized tomography (PET/CT) scans to be matched to group 1 for primary tumor and stage, sex, age (±5 years), BMI (±3 Kg/m2). After obtaining informed consent and all initial screening visit procedures, patients will participate in two four-hour recording sessions in the whole room indirect calorimeter to assess resting energy expenditure, and patient's thermal (comfort) response to the temperature of the room.

Treatment:

Procedure: Resting Energy Expenditure

Other: Thermal Comfort Questionnaire