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Ketogenic Dietary Intervention to Improve Response to Immunotherapy in Patients With Metastatic Melanoma and Metastatic Kidney Cancer

Phase I Study of the Safety and Feasibility of a Ketogenic Dietary Intervention to Improve Response to Immunotherapy

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06391099
Enrollment
60
Registered
2024-04-30
Start date
2025-11-17
Completion date
2027-12-31
Last updated
2026-03-19

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Clinical Stage IV Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8, Metastatic Cutaneous Melanoma, Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma, Stage IV Renal Cell Cancer AJCC v8

Brief summary

This phase I trial studies how well a ketogenic dietary intervention works to improve response to immunotherapy in patients with melanoma and kidney cancer that has spread from where it first started (primary site) to other places in the body (metastatic). A ketogenic diet (KD) means eating fewer carbohydrates and more fats. The purpose is to use ketones (normal breakdown from fat) instead of glucose (sugar) as an energy source. Researchers want to see whether a ketogenic diet can improve tumor response in patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). ICI are newer treatment options that help the immune system better fight some cancers. Following a KD may improve tumor response in patients with metastatic melanoma and metastatic kidney cancer treated with ICI.

Detailed description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: I. To evaluate the safety and feasibility of establishing a ketogenic dietary intervention trial with longitudinal biospecimen collection in the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center (OSUCCC) cutaneous and genitourinary oncology clinics. EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVE: I. To assess whether the microbiome (binary, high versus \[vs\] low diversity) mediates the relationship between time in ketosis (days with peripheral blood beta-hydroxybutyric acid \[BHB\] \> 0.5 mM) and tumor size over the course of treatment. OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms. ARM I: Patients undergo a ketogenic dietary intervention with personalized coaching from a dietician about the KD, which includes extensive educational and ongoing support on the KD and continuous ketone monitoring by talking to a dietician directly, with the ability to text a dietician at any time and expect a response within 12 hours over 24weeks. Patients also undergo daily blood glucose and ketone monitoring, undergo computed tomography (CT), undergo blood sample collection and may undergo stool sample collection on the study. ARM II: Patients follow a standard of care diet on the study.

Interventions

OTHERBest Practice

Undergo standard of care diet

PROCEDUREBiospecimen Collection

Undergo blood and stool sample collection

PROCEDUREComputed Tomography

Under CT

OTHERDietary Intervention

Undergo ketogenic diet

Receive coaching support

Undergo blood glucose testing

OTHERKetone Measurement

Undergo ketone measurement

OTHERQuestionnaire Administration

Ancillary studies

Sponsors

Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Males and females, age \>= 18 years * Clinical site A will include patients with confirmed diagnosis of metastatic melanoma (including those with brain metastases) receiving first line treatment with combination nivolumab and ipilimumab or single agent ipilimumab, nivolumab, pembrolizumab * Clinical site B will include patients with confirmed diagnosis of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) (including those with brain metastases) receiving first line treatment with combination nivolumab and ipilimumab or single agent PD-1 inhibitor (e.g., nivolumab, pembrolizumab) * Scheduled for imaging every 6 to 12 weeks for metastatic melanoma (MM) and mRCC as is standard of care per National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines * Able to read, understand, and provide written informed consent * Willing to provide stool specimen for research studies as outlined in the timeline * Willing to participate in a ketogenic diet (KD)

Exclusion criteria

* Individuals \< 18 years of age * Unable or unwilling to provide consent * Patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus or type 2 diabetes using insulin * Patients who are clinically underweight (body mass index \[BMI\] \< 18.5) at the start of treatment * Other active malignancy (other than adequately treated and cured basal or squamous cell skin cancer, curatively treated in situ disease, or any other cancer from which the patient has been disease free \>=5 years) * Currently consuming a low-carbohydrate (\< 130 g/day) or ketogenic diet or done so in the last 6-months * Women who are known to be pregnant are excluded. However no additional pregnancy testing out of what would be recommended prior to initiating anti-cancer therapy will be performed solely for this study * Patients currently participating in an interventional or therapeutic clinical trial involving the use of active anti-cancer therapy

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Incidence of adverse eventsUp to 1 yearWill be assessed by immune-related adverse events (irAEs), serious adverse events (SAEs), Treatment Emergent Adverse Events (TEAEs), clinical laboratory, vital signs, physical examinations. Will be monitored during study visits and telephone calls using the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0, which also includes irAEs. Grade 3, 4 and 5 toxicities will be reported as adverse events.
Adherence (feasibility measure)Up to 1 yearAdherence will be defined as \> 80% of days in ketosis and compliant as collecting all gut microbiome specimens. Diet adherence and progress will be assessed daily using at-home whole capillary blood glucose and continuous ketone monitoring devices

Countries

United States

Contacts

CONTACTThe Ohio State Comprehensive Cancer Center
OSUCCCClinicaltrials@osumc.edu800-293-5066
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORMarium Husain, MD, MPH

Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Mar 20, 2026