Probiotic Yogurt Supplement in Reducing Diarrhea in Patients With Metastatic Kidney Cancer Being Treated With Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor

Overview

This randomized clinical trial studies how well probiotic yogurt supplement works in reducing diarrhea in patients with kidney cancer that has spread from the primary site to other places in the body (metastatic) and that are being treated with vascular endothelial growth factor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy. Studying samples of blood and stool from patients who eat probiotic yogurt and those who avoid probiotic yogurt may help doctors plan better treatment.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine if adding Activia yogurt (containing Bifidobacterium lactis DN-173 010) to the diet of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) increases the level of Bifidobacterium spp in stool. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine if Activia reduces the incidence of diarrhea for mRCC patients treated with vascular endothelial growth factor - tyrosine kinase inhibitor (VEGF-TKI) therapy. II. To compare pre-treatment levels of circulating T regulatory (Treg) cells and levels of peripheral signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) in patients with and without diarrhea with VEGF-TKI therapy, and correlate with Bifidobacterium, other bacteria, and Activia. III. To determine if patients with the diarrhea in mRCC patients treated with VEGF-TKI therapy have a lower baseline of Bifidobacterium spp. IV. To assess the change in global stool bacteriomic profile of patients receiving therapy with VEGF-TKI therapy with or without Activia. V. To better assess the feasibility of stool collection and bacteriomic profiling. VI. To explore association between psychosocial symptoms (anxiety and depression) and bacteriomic profile and gastrointestinal toxicity in mRCC patients receiving VEGF-TKI therapy therapy. OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms. ARM I: Patients receive probiotic supplement Activia yogurt twice daily (QD) during weeks 2-13 of VEGF-TKI treatment. ARM II: Patients avoid any intake of yogurt or yogurt-containing foods and refrain from taking/consuming other probiotic supplements for 3 months.