Sentara Healthcare is enrolling eligible patients in Hampton Roads to participate in the nationwide Breast Cancer Weight Loss Study.
According to the National Library of Medicine, the primary goal of this trial is to compare two groups, one with supervised weight loss intervention and education materials and the other group with health educational materials “upon invasive disease free survival (IDFS)” or cancer free.
“We are hoping to learn if maintaining a healthier weight will lead to less recurrence, and better survival rates, from breast cancer,” said Dr. Jennifer May, manager of the Sentara Cancer Research Program. “We believe this study will have a positive impact on their health.”
The study is through Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, part of the National Cancer Institute and Sentara is the “only healthcare system” in Hampton Roads participating in this study, May said.
There are five Sentara locations enrolling eligible patients. Read more about the eligibility requirements and clinical study here.
“Marybeth Hughes, M.D., a surgical oncologist with Eastern Virginia Medical School and the Sentara Cancer Network is the principal investigator for the study and is currently enrolling patients in the Hampton Roads region,” May said.
There is currently no deadline and May expects to be enrolling patients over the next two years until the study reaches its goal of 3,136 patients, May said.
Currently, there are 1,715 patients enrolled nationwide, including two in Hampton Roads.
The Breast Cancer Weight Loss Study is open to eligible patients in select Sentara locations in Hampton Roads.
For information, call the cancer research office 757-388-2840 or email cancerresearch@sentara.com.
