The Beans to Enrich the Gut Microbiome vs. Obesity's Negative Effects (BE GONE) Trial

Overview

You are being asked to take part in this study because either you are a survivor who has a previous history of colorectal cancer or an MD Anderson patient who had a precancerous colorectal polyp or you have a previous history of colorectal cancer, and you have a current adult body mass index (BMI) score of 25 or higher. The BMI score is used as an indicator of the level of body fat, based on height and weight. The goal of this clinical research study is to learn if eating canned, pre-cooked beans can help improve the levels of healthy bacteria in the digestive system and reduce the effects of obesity on cancer risk. This is an investigational study. Up to 80 participants will be enrolled in this study. All will take part at MD Anderson.

Study Groups: If you are found to be eligible, you will be randomly assigned (as in the flip of a coin) to 1 of 2 study groups (intervention or control). This is done because no one knows if one study group is better, the same, or worse than the other group. Both groups will be given a diet to follow for 8 weeks. Intervention group participants will add canned beans into their diets beginning at ½ cup per day. This will be increased to 1 cup per day during the first 2 weeks, and then will continue at 1 cup per day for the following 6 weeks of the study. You will be asked to keep a log of your bean consumption during this time. Control group participants will be instructed to follow their normal diet (not including beans) for 8 weeks. Length of Study: Your active participation on the study will last a total of 20 weeks. Your participation on the study will be over after the follow-up period. Long-Term Follow-Up: Up to 2 times each year for up to 5 years, a member of the study staff will contact you and ask about how you are doing. You will be contacted by phone, email, or standard mail. These calls will last 15-20 minutes each. At 6 months and 1 year after your last visit, you will complete the same questionnaires you completed at screening. Study Visits: At each visit, your waist measurements and weight will be collected. Every 4 weeks (Visits 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6), blood (about 3 tablespoons) will be drawn for routine tests. You will be asked to bring a stool sample to each visit and mail a stool sample at the end of week 1 during the intervention. You will be provided with a container and instructions to collect each stool sample. You may send your stool sample back to the study staff by mail. If you choose to send it by mail, you will be given a pre-paid envelope for this. At Visit 4, your study group assignment will be switched, and you will be assigned to the opposite group and diet from your first assignment (meaning intervention group members will be switched to the control group as well as the other way around). You will follow this new diet for the remaining 8 weeks.