Evaluating Food Assistance Effects on Treatment Adherence and Health Outcomes in Food-Insecure Adults with Cancer

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying adult cancer patients who experience food insecurity to understand how food assistance programs affect their treatment adherence and health outcomes. This interventional study aims to identify food-insecure patients at the Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center and evaluate the impact of providing food assistance during active cancer treatment. Participants will be divided into two groups one receiving a six-month food assistance program that includes shelf-stable food boxes and produce vouchers, and the other receiving standard care with usual referrals but no food packages. The study uses a parallel design without randomization to compare these groups over six months. During the study, participants treatment adherence, clinical outcomes, food insecurity levels, quality of life, and financial stress will be assessed at the start and after six months. Researchers will monitor how the food assistance impacts these measures while participants continue their cancer treatment and provide informed consent. The study period extends up to six months following enrollment for each participant.

Impact of Food Assistance on Treatment Adherence and Clinical Outcomes in Food-Insecure Cancer Pts