This study evaluates the relationship between alterations in the GI microbiome and GI inflammation on symptom burden in women with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To describe changes in GI inflammation and the GI microbiome profile in women with breast cancer throughout chemotherapy. II. To examine how GI inflammation and GI microbiome changes influence symptom experience is used above in women with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy. III. To examine associations between microbial composition functional profiles at T1 and T2, T3 as well as T4 in patients who report symptom severity in neuropsychological and GI symptoms at the last three timepoints. IV. To evaluate for differentially abundant metabolites and perturbed metabolic pathways associated with microbiome diversity in patients who do and do not report neuropsychological and GI symptom occurrence at T2, T3 and T4. OUTLINE: This is an observational study. Patients undergo stool and blood sample collection, complete questionnaires, and have their medical records reviewed on study.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
9
Non-interventional study
Mayo Clinic in Arizona
Scottsdale, Arizona, United States
Mayo Clinic in Rochester
Rochester, Minnesota, United States
Change in GI microbiome profile
To examine longitudinal change in the GI microbiome, the coefficient of variation (CV) of alpha-diversity values will be calculated for stool samples. The CV represents the ratio of the standard deviation to the mean. A low CV indicates that an individual has relatively stable microbial diversity over time and a high CV indicates that an individual has higher microbial diversity over time.
Time frame: Up to 1 month after chemotherapy treatment completion
Change in GI inflammation
GI Inflammation will be quantified through measures of fecal calprotectin to indicate low, medium and high concentrations of bowel inflammation.
Time frame: Up to 1 month after chemotherapy treatment completion
Symptom burden - MSAS
Symptom burden will be measured with a modified version of the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS). The modified MSAS includes 41 symptom items, including 19 GI symptoms. Participants are asked to review the list of symptoms and indicate which had been present in the last week. For each symptom present, participants are asked to rate its duration, severity, and distress.
Time frame: Up to 1 month after chemotherapy treatment completion
Symptom burden - MASCC-MAT
Symptom burden will be measured with the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer-Antiemesis Tool (MASCC-MAT). The MASCC-MAT assesses acute (i.e., within 24 hours post-chemotherapy) and delayed (i.e., after 24 hours and up to 7 days post-chemotherapy) occurrence of chemotherapy-induced nausea (CIN).
Time frame: Up to 1 month after chemotherapy treatment completion
Symptom burden - LFS
Symptom burden will be measured with the Lee Fatigue Scale (LFS). The LFS consists of 18 items related to fatigue and energy. Scores range from 0-180 with higher scores indicating higher levels of fatigue.
Time frame: Up to 1 month after chemotherapy treatment completion
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Associations between microbial composition functional profiles and symptom severity
In patients who report symptom severity in neuropsychological and GI symptoms for at least three timepoints, stool samples will be tested to find distinct diversity and abundance changes between timepoints that are associated with symptom occurrence.
Time frame: Up to 1 month after chemotherapy treatment completion
Change in metabolite abundance
In patients who do and do not report neuropsychological and GI symptom occurrence for at least three timepoints, stool samples and blood samples will be evaluated using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to evaluate for change in metabolite abundance and associations between bacterial composition and metabolic profiles.
Time frame: Up to 1 month after chemotherapy treatment completion