Evaluating the Impact of a Novel Program to Address Acute Food Insecurity Among Cancer Patients.

Introduction: Acute food insecurity (FI) significantly impacts cancer patients' health, exacerbating physical and psychological burdens. While current interventions address chronic FI, acute cases remain undermanaged. Legacy of Hope, a Philadelphia-based non-profit, addresses this gap through its Emergency Patient Support Network (EPSN), offering free bi-weekly groceries to patients facing acute FI.

Materials And Methods: The pilot study evaluated EPSN's impact utilizing the Legacy of Hope Acute Food Insecurity (LOHAFI) survey, which was performed at baseline and two weeks post-intervention. The survey combines the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G7) and questions on food and financial security. Mean scores and frequencies were calculated.

Results: Fifty patients (n = 50) completed the LOHAFI survey. The mean age was 55.1 years; 70% were female; 33 (66%) identified as Black. Two weeks after receiving groceries, patients reported a decrease in nausea (pre: 1.34; post: 1.18) and anxiety related to their cancer (pre: 2.49; post: 2.41) and an increase in the availability (pre: 1.70; post: 1.84) and consumption (pre: 2.26; post: 2.30) of healthy food. However, patient overall quality of life did not improve (pre: 13.14; post: 12.76).

Conclusions: Legacy of Hope's EPSN shows potential in alleviating acute FI among cancer patients, although larger studies are needed to fully assess its impact.