Fiber to Reduce Colon Cancer in Alaska Native People

May 13, 2023 updated by: Stephen O'Keefe, University of Pittsburgh

Randomized Controlled Trial of Resistant Starch to Reduce Colon Cancer Risk in Alaska Native People.

Alaska native people (AN) have the highest recorded incidence and death rate from colon cancer in the world (>90:100,000). We hypothesize that the AN, despite their high consumption of anti-inflammatory and antineoplastic n-3 fish oils, are at increased risk of colon cancer because of colonic butyrate deficiency resulting from their remarkably low consumption of fiber-containing foods. We hypothesize that fiber supplementation of their usual diet will result in a bloom of butyrate producing microbes in the colon, resulting in increased butyrate production, which will suppress their high microbial secondary bile acid production, antagonize the actions of other food (smoked fish) and environmental carcinogens (tobacco, alcohol), and interact with the high circulating levels of n-3 fish oils to suppress colonic inflammation and cancer risk. In order to investigate this, we will conduct a randomized double-blinded 4-week clinical trial in up to 100 randomizable healthy, middle-aged AN undergoing screening colonoscopy, with the objective of obtaining 60 completed interventions. The interventions will consist of either a high-dose soluble fiber supplement given as a drink, together with their usual diet which currently contains about 15g total fiber/d, or to a control digestible starch drink plus their usual diet. The primary endpoint will be a clinically significant reduction in Ki67 proliferative colonic mucosal biomarkers of cancer risk. Microbiome and metabolome mechanisms responsible for the anticipated changes in mucosal biomarkers will also be investigated. Our results in extreme risk AN will be further evaluated by comparison to similar measurements previously made in minimal risk rural Africans and intermediate risk African Americans. Our results will be used to provide the scientific basis for a definitive large-scale high-fiber supplementation study (to achieve >50g total fiber/d) to suppress adenomatous polyp recurrence following colonoscopy.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Randomization for the double blind, placebo controlled, clinical trial: Recruitment will continue until 60 volunteers have completed the intervention study. Based on previous experience with similar studies, we anticipate 20% of screened patients to be ineligible or drop out, which means, so we plan on consenting and screening approximately 100 potential participants. Baseline data from these participants will be retained. Individuals will be randomized via minimisation (based on age, sex, polypectomy, high fish consumption, and BMI - factors that might influence microbiota composition and function)) to either the resistant starch (RS) group or the control digestible starch (DS) group upon completion of the Stabilization Period.

  1. RS Group: Participants will continue with their usual diet plus fiber supplement given as a daily dose of 70g high-amylose maize starch (HAM-RS, HI-MAIZE®260: Ingredion Incorporated, Bridgewater, NJ), which contains 42g of type 2 resistant starch, for 4 weeks. Data from previous studies[69] suggests that their usual diet will contain approximately 13g dietary fiber/day, chiefly insoluble, indicating that total fiber intake would be approx. 55g/d. Supplements will be pre-weighed out in batches from the same source and kept in airtight containers. The supplement may be taken as a single or divided dose dissolved in 250ml water, low fat milk, or orange juice
  2. DS (Control) Group participants will continue on their usual diet, plus 70g of fully digestible starch (waxy corn starch comprised of amylopectin, AMIOCA® corn starch, Ingredion Incorporated, Bridgewater, NJ ) weighed out, analyzed, and prepared as previously. The RS and control supplements will appear and taste similar, allowing for coding and distribution in a double-blind fashion. The supplements will be equicaloric.

Interventions will include fecal and colonic content sampling for measurement of the microbiome and metabolome, and flexible sigmoidoscopy to obtain mucosal biopsies before and after the dietary supplementation.

Monitoring During the Clinical Trial: This will follow the scheme laid out on Figure 7. On day 0, participants will visit the clinic and will be asked to save their first fecal sample using our standard operating procedure developed and proven to be effective in our last study. They will then be given their first supplement drink made up in their vehicle of choice, and taken with a standard meal provided by the diet kitchen. During the trial, they will be instructed on the use of a simple diary to be completed at home. This will record the major food items consumed each day, the timing and completion of drink supplements, as well as the bowel function questionnaire to assess daily GI tolerance, i.e. abdominal discomfort, distension, gas, bowel frequency, nausea, vomiting. They will be asked to return to the clinic for a follow-up appointment on day 7, 14 and 21 in order to repeat the fecal and breath tests described above. At the same time, body weight will be monitored using one scale. At the end of 4 weeks, participants will be asked to return to the clinic for repeat of the colonic sampling performed at baseline.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

48

Phase

  • 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 Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Alaska
      • Anchorage, Alaska, United States, 99508
        • Alaskan Native Tribal Health Consortium
    • Pennsylvania
      • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 15213
        • Upittsburgh

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

Ages Eligible for Study

40 years to 70 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria: Healthy AN volunteers (from GI standpoint) between 40-70 years (age at which colon cancer screening colonoscopy is recommended in this population) and BMI between 18-40 Kg/m2. It should be noted that in our previous study, we found no difference in the responses of the key parameters (mucosal biomarkers, butyrate and secondary bile acid producers, fecal SCFA and bile acids) to increased fiber diets between those with normal body weight, those overweight, and those who were obese (Nature Comm Supplement). Patients who have, or have had noncancerous polyps removed previously by colonoscopy will be eligible. Alaska Native race will be defined as those eligible to receive health care through the Alaska Tribal Health System. Exclusion criteria: These are detailed under Human Subjects. Participants will be ineligible if they have a history of familial adenomatous polyposis or hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer, or have previous colonoscopic evidence of inflammatory bowel disease or colon cancer. Also ineligible will be individuals with known renal, hepatic, or bleeding disorders; previous GI surgery resulting in disturbed gut function due to of loss of bowel or altered anatomy; or any form of chronic GI disease resulting in disturbed gut function, diarrhea, and malabsorption. Individuals with antibiotic use within the past 12 weeks, current steroids use, or on medical treatment for diabetes, will also be excluded.

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: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Resistant Starch
70g high-amylose maize starch which contains 42g of type 2 resistant starch
Dietary supplement: Resistant starch
70g high-amylose maize starch
Placebo Comparator: Digestible Starch
70g of fully digestible starch comprised of amylopectin corn starch.
Dietary supplement: 70g of fully digestible starch amylopectin corn starch
Fully digestible amylopectin corn starch

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
colonic mucosal proliferation
Time Frame: 4 weeks
biomarker of cancer risk
4 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
colonic microbiota
Time Frame: 4 weeks
fecal and colonic microbiota analysis
4 weeks
colonic secondary bile acids
Time Frame: 4 weeks
fecal and colonic conjugated bile acid analysis
4 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

University of Pittsburgh

Collaborators

Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

Investigators

  • Study Director: Gabriela Riscuta, National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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)

December 11, 2017

Primary Completion (Actual)

December 31, 2022

Study Completion (Actual)

December 31, 2022

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 18, 2017

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 18, 2017

First Posted (Estimate)

January 23, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 16, 2023

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 13, 2023

Last Verified

December 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • PRO16080079

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

we will use a public deposit when all the data analysis is completed

IPD Sharing Time Frame

2012

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

public

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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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