NCT00962234

Metabolism of Lipids in Advanced Cancer

• Status: Terminated
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 12 (actual)
• Sponsor: AHS Cancer Control Alberta · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 85 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The causes of failing nutrition status in advanced cancer are not well known. The way fat is moved, stored, burned or changed into other compounds may be affected and will be followed in patients using a tracer and other blood tests. The investigators hypothesize that fat loss and wasting results from low essential fatty acid availability in the body. Changes may occur in the liver that limits distribution and availability of fat to the body as an energy source or for other essential functions.

Detailed description

Weight loss in cancer is the result of breakdown of fat (lipid) and muscle protein reserves. This research will explore how people with cancer use fat in their body through the use of tracers and measures in the blood. A stable isotope of hydrogen called 'deuterium' is used to trace the production of different fats by the liver. Other methods will determine how much and what types of fat are transported around the body. Body composition will be determined by CT scan and related to fat measures.

Conditions

• Lung Neoplasms
• Cachexia

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Blood draws	Up to 4 blood draws will be required, in the amount of about 10 mL each
BIOLOGICAL	Oral administration of stable isotope (deuterium)	1 mg deuterium-labeled water/kg body water (loading dose), and 0.5 mg/kg body water diluted in 1 L of normal water (maintenance dose) to be consumed over the following 16 hours
PROCEDURE	Metabolic rate testing	Metabolic rate testing is a painless, non-invasive test that takes about 1h. A metabolic cart is used, which detects the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide the body uses. Patients will lie down on a bed for 30 minutes with lights dimmed and soft music to help them relax. After 30 minutes, a canopy will be placed over the patient's head and shoulders for 30 minutes for the analysis of breath samples. This test will be performed only once for this study.

Timeline

• Start date: 2009-10-01
• Primary completion: 2011-10-01
• Completion: 2011-10-01
• First posted: 2009-08-19
• Last updated: 2016-02-26

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Canada