Collaborative Tele-Nutritional Care for Patient With Stage IV Cancer (T-NICE)

November 16, 2025 updated by: Xingchen Peng

Collaborative Tele-Nutritional Care for Patients With Stage IV Cancer Undergoing Chemotherapy: The Randomised Clinical Trial

In China, the treatment of advanced-stage cancer often follows a pattern where the management of patients is primarily overseen by oncologists who focus on addressing the main clinical symptoms and intervening accordingly.

However, symptoms such as appetite loss, weight loss, and anxiety are often overlooked. It is common for clinical nutritionists to passively enter oncology wards to conduct comprehensive nutritional assessments and develop nutrition plans only when patients exhibit significant malnutrition, upon request from oncologists or patients and their families.

Against this background, the investigators integrated clinical nutritionists into the oncology treatment team and established a proactive nutritional intervention team specifically targeting stage IV cancer patients. This initiative aims to conduct a single-center, open-label, randomized parallel-group prospective study, with the following objectives: 1) to evaluate the impact of this model on the nutritional status, survival, and quality of life of advanced-stage cancer patients, and 2) to further optimize this model for widespread replication in clinical practice.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
158

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.
  • Name: Xingchen Peng, Ph.D
  • Phone Number: +8618980606753
  • Email: pxx2014@163.com

Study Locations

  • China
    • Sichuan
      • Chengdu, Sichuan, China, 610041
        • West China Hospital, Sichuan Universit

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. The patients should be at the range of 18-80 years old, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) 0-1.
  2. The patients should be diagnosed, untreated stage IV cancer patients requiring chemotherapy;
  3. The patients should have good cognitive and reading abilities to complete questionnaires;
  4. The patients should have ≥3 months expected survival period

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Patients with neurological or psychiatric disorders affecting cognitive function, including central nervous system metastases from tumors;
  2. Patients with severe diseases affecting digestion, metabolism, or food intake;
  3. Presence of contraindications to chemotherapy;
  4. Patients in a cachectic state or refractory cachexia;
  5. Patients with PG-SGA score ≥9 points

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Early Nutrition Intervention
For patients meeting the inclusion criteria and randomly assigned to the intervention group, the investigators will assess their nutritional status monthly. During the home-based period between chemotherapy cycles, the investigators will conduct follow-up and provide care using a mobile application (APP). In the event of new nutritional risks emerging in patients, timely recommendations for medical consultation will be made, and nutritional plans will be formulated accordingly.
Combination product: Early Nutrition Intervention
This involves a multidisciplinary team intervention, including oncologists, nutritionists, and nurses. Additionally, the intervention introduces a team-developed mobile application (APP) for the purpose of regular patient follow-ups to identify nutritional risks promptly and facilitate timely interventions. Patients identified as at risk through the app follow-up will be referred to the nutrition clinic for consultation to address nutritional concerns. For advanced-stage cancer patients undergoing monthly chemotherapy hospitalizations, comprehensive assessments encompassing nutrition, psychological aspects, and other facets will be conducted during hospital stays. When deemed necessary, patients will receive dietary guidance and nutritional support.
No Intervention: standard care
Patients randomly assigned to the standard treatment group will receive standard care for cancer patients and will not be scheduled for interdisciplinary supportive therapy assessment unless requested by the patient, the primary oncologist, or their family.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
the incidence of cachexia
Time Frame: every month, up to half year
The definition and classification of cancer cachexia was used by an international consensus [9, 10]: (1) weight loss > 5% over the past 6 months (in the absence of simple starvation), (2) BMI < 20 and any degree of weight loss > 2%, or (3) appendicular skeletal muscle index consistent with sarcopenia and any degree of weight loss > 2%. The assessment of skeletal muscle depletion was used by mid-upper arm muscle area by anthropometry (men < 32 cm2, women < 18 cm2)
every month, up to half year

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Nutritional risk and malnutrition status
Time Frame: every month, up to half year
Nutrition Risk Screening 2002 (NRS2002) ，the minimum value is 0 and maximum value is 7, and higher scores mean a worse outcome.
every month, up to half year
Nutritional risk and malnutrition status
Time Frame: every month, up to half year
Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA)，the minimum value is 0 and maximum value is 20, and higher scores mean a worse outcome.
every month, up to half year
body weight
Time Frame: every month, up to half year
Changes in body weight over 6 months
every month, up to half year

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Xingchen Peng

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: XingChen Peng, Ph.D, West China Hospital

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
March 28, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
August 30, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
August 30, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
March 10, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 20, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
March 27, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
November 19, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 16, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2023-2330

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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