Pilot study of a telehealth intervention for personalized self-management for eating symptoms after gastroesophageal cancer surgery.

Background And Objectives: Following gastric and esophageal cancer surgery, patients often experience significant, prolonged eating-related symptoms. One promising approach to help patients improve their eating-related quality of life (QOL) is through self-management coaching to aid in diet modification. We performed a randomized pilot study of a nutritionist-led telehealth intervention for the self-management of eating after gastroesophageal cancer surgery.

Methods: Patients who were within 30 days of resuming oral intake after undergoing surgery for gastric and/or esophageal cancer were consented and then randomized to the intervention or usual care. The intervention was performed by a nutritionist trained in self-management coaching and delivered in four telehealth sessions over 4 months. The following outcomes were measured at baseline and at 6 months after baseline: QOL (EORTC QLQC30), weight, body mass index, and sarcopenia.

Results: Fifty-three patients were enrolled. 22/27 usual care and 21/26 intervention patients completed the study for a retention rate of 81%. Differences between the intervention and control groups were not statistically significant, but the intervention group had indications of greater improvements in overall QOL as measured by EORTC QLQC30 Summary Score (8.7 vs. 2.3, p = 0.17) as well as greater improvements in 4/5 functional domains (p > 0.3). The intervention group also had slightly more weight gain (6 kg vs. 3 kg, p = 0.3) and less sarcopenia (3/16 vs. 9/18, p = 0.07).

Conclusions: This pilot study demonstrated the feasibility and acceptability of a telehealth intervention for self-management of eating symptoms after gastroesophageal cancer surgery. There were trends toward improved overall QOL in the intervention group. A larger study is needed to validate the results.