Saso Krstovski Jr
Pronouns: he/him
Research Mentor(s): Zora Djuric
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Family Medicine / Medicine
Program:
Authors: Melanie Konin, Saso Krstovski, Molly MacDonald, Lorraine Buis, Zora Djuric
Session: Session 3: 11:00 am – 11: 50 am
Poster: 36
Abstract
The American Cancer Society expects 152,020 individuals to be diagnosed with CRC in 2024 including 19,500 cases and 3,750 deaths in individuals younger than 50 years old. Diet is thought to affect the risk of CRC by 20-30% and all lifestyle factors together have the potential to contribute up to 50% of the risk. The ongoing MyBestGI study plans to recruit 240 overweight or obese adults who have risk factors for CRC to assess what type of intervention is best to aid people in achieving a cancer-preventative style of eating. Study participants are asked to comply with 3 in-person visits that include non-invasive measures of skin carotenoids, questionnaires, breath ketones, anthropometric measures, and blood sample collection. Participants are randomly assigned to 1 of 3 study arms over a 12-month period. Eating Plan 1 includes written information from the American Institute of Cancer Research for dietary cancer prevention. Eating Plan 2 asks participants to limit four “Western” food groups – red meats, added sugars, refined grains, and processed meats. Eating Plan 3 asks participants to limit those same 4 food groups and to encourage consumption of 7 food groups associated with prevention. Participants assigned to Eating Plans 2 and 3 receive support calls, text messages, user manuals, and the MyBestGI app for monitoring progress toward their diet goals. Recruitment for the study is going well with 64 subjects enrolled in the first 8 months. Over 600 people contacted the study and are being screened remotely. The major reason for ineligibility is the lack of CRC risk factors. In order to optimize the intervention, research is ongoing to evaluate the role of the calls in supporting study participants in their efforts to achieve a preventative diet. Qualitative analysis of the study calls thus far indicates that participants are preparing for social situations that may impact their eating habits, avoiding food groups that have been linked to causing colorectal cancer, and setting future dietary goals. This indicates that the MyBestGI program is achieving the desired behaviors. If this success continues, subsequent research will evaluate program implementation in medical settings to improve the care of persons at high risk for CRC.
