Usefulness of Smartphone Application for Improving Nutritional Status of Pancreatic Cancer Patients
Condition: Pancreatic Cancer
MeSH terms: Pancreatic Neoplasms
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Malnutrition of hospitalized patients is reported in the range of 20-60% according to the
      definition and assessment method of malnutrition.

      In particular, the incidence of malnutrition in cancer patients is high up to 30-85%.

      Gastrointestinal disease is related to the digestion and absorption of nutrition therefore
      malnutrition rate of those patients is relatively high. Careful management of nutrition
      support is needed.

      Malnutrition causes dysfunction of the mesenteric membrane, immune function impairment,
      decreased function of major organs such as liver, kidney and heart and alteration in
      pharmacodynamics. It could also increase infection rate and complications of chemotherapy,
      delay recovery time, so that increase morbidity, mortality and length of hospital stay.

      Proper nutrition management reduces malnutrition prevalence and medical costs of hospitalized
      patient, therefore nutrition screening and evaluation is necessary. The recent spread of
      smartphones has made it easier to record and evaluate meals, which are used in the diet
      market for weight loss through meal records and feedback based on smartphone applications.
      This approach is also expected to benefit patients with gastrointestinal cancer, where proper
      nutrition and feedback are important. In particular, pancreatic cancer, the worst intractable
      cancer of mankind, is digestive cancer with the most severe muscle mass reduction and
      nutritional deterioration after diagnosis.
    


Intervention name(s): Smart phone application(NOOM); Non-user
Intervention type(s): Other; Other
Intervention description(s): The study population included first diagnosis of pancreatic cancer patients within 3 months of pancreatic cancer center visit, and randomly assigned to the use of Noom user group and non-use group. A total of 40 patients, 20 from each group, were used to examine nutritional status(PG-SGA), blood index analysis, and quality of life(EORTC QLQ) at 0, 4, 8, and 12 weeks. At the same time, the patients voluntarily record meals and receive feedback using Noom. The purpose and contents of this study are explained in detail to the subjects, and written consent is obtained. The questionnaire items included gender, age, weight, type of diagnosed digestive disease, treatment method, nutritional supplement, oral status and intake of oral supplement foods, and past medical history. To assess the nutritional status using laboratory data, blood(about 8ml) is collected for each visit.; The patients dose not use Noom application. A total of 40 patients, 20 from each group, were used to examine nutritional status (PG-SGA), blood index analysis, and quality of life (EORTC QLQ) at 0, 4, 8, and 12 weeks. The purpose and contents of this study are explained in detail to the subjects, and written consent is obtained. The questionnaire items included gender, age, weight, type of diagnosed digestive disease, treatment method, nutritional supplement, oral status and intake of oral supplement foods, and past medical history. To assess the nutritional status using laboratory data, blood (about 8ml) is collected for each visit. At each visit, you will be assessed nutritional status and quality of life through the PG-SGA and EORTC QLQ.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Intervention model description: This is a prospective cohort study designed to investigate the usefulness of the Noom smartphone application on nutrition management of pancreatic cancer patients. We randomly assigned patients with first diagnosed pancreatic cancer to Noom user group or non-Noom user group. A total of 40 participants were included for randomization. All patients underwent nutritional assessments (PG-SGA), laboratory test and quality of life assessments (EORTC QLQ) at enrollment, 4, 8, and 12 weeks. During study period, Noom user group voluntarily record meals and get feedback.
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Other