Hereditary Breast CarcinomaNCT04125914
Weight Management and Health Behavior Intervention in Lowering Cancer Risk for BRCA Positive and Lynch Syndrome Families
A study testing Behavioral Dietary Intervention, E-mail and Exercise Intervention in people with Hereditary Breast Carcinoma and Hereditary Ovarian Carcinoma, run by M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This trial studies how well weight management and health behavior intervention works in helping patients with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer and Lynch syndrome mutation carriers lose or maintain a healthy weight and lower their risk for cancer. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Hereditary Breast Carcinoma, Hereditary Ovarian Carcinoma, Lynch Syndrome
- What is being tested?
- Behavioral Dietary Intervention, E-mail and Exercise Intervention
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 384 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 26 Jan 2017to 30 Apr 2028
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- HEALTH4Families only: Positive for either HBOC or LS predisposing mutations OR a family member of a mutation carrier (family members do not need to be biological relatives).
- HEALTH4Families only: Index participant ONLY: Must have at least one family member who is eligible and consents to participation.
- Have at least one of the following risk factors:
- Body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher
- < 5 servings of vegetables and fruits per day
- < 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity activity
Show all 15Show fewer
- 75 minutes per week of vigorous intensity activity
- Able to read and write English.
- Have a cellular telephone and are able and willing to send and receive text messages.
- Access to internet via desktop or mobile device.
- Capable of participating in moderate-vigorous unsupervised exercise.
- HEALTH4CPC only: Patient in MD Anderson's Cancer Prevention Center coming in to the clinic for one of the following appointment types: consult and new patient screening appointments
- HEALTH4CPC only: Female.
- HEALTH4CPC only: Lives in the Houston area or surrounding counties (within 150 miles of MD Anderson's main campus).
- HEALTH4CPC only: Has a smartphone.
Who cannot join
- Unable to walk without crutches, walker, cane, or other assistive device.
- Women who are pregnant or nursing (by self-report).
- Currently receiving radiation therapy or cytotoxic chemotherapy.
- Within 3 months of major surgery.
- Does not live in the United States.
- HEALTH4CPC only: Persons diagnosed with any invasive cancer excluding non-melanoma skin cancer.
- HEALTH4CPC only: Patient at high risk for cancer.
- HEALTH4CPC only: Participated in the HEALTH 4 MD Anderson pilot study (protocol 2014-0230).
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: HEALTH4Families: Optimizing a Weight Management and Health Behavior Intervention for BRCA+ and Lynch Syndrome Families
This trial studies how well weight management and health behavior intervention works in helping patients with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer and Lynch syndrome mutation carriers lose or maintain a healthy weight and lower their risk for cancer. Lifestyle behaviors such as physical activity, diet, and weight management may play a key role in preventing cancers and improving outcomes even in those with hereditary cancer syndromes.
Read the detailed description
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:
- Identify the most effective intervention components for weight loss (primary outcome) and percent energy from fat, vegetable and fruit consumption, physical activity, and theory based behavioral determinants (secondary outcomes), with the goal of developing an optimized weight management intervention for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) and Lynch syndrome (LS) mutation carriers and their family members.
II. Identify the most effective intervention combination that could be delivered for a cost of $364 or less, which is the reimbursement level provided by Medicare for 6 months of intensive behavioral weight loss counseling.
III. Explore the effects of each component on weight loss, vegetable and fruit consumption, percent energy from fat, and physical activity 4 months after the end of the intervention.
IV. Evaluate whether the effects of the intervention components differ by mutation status, previous cancer diagnosis in the index participant, HBOC versus (vs) LS, family environment, and gender of index participant.
- Pilot test the intervention in MD Anderson's Cancer Prevention Center, to determine the feasibility of providing the intervention components in a clinical setting.
OUTLINE:
Participants are randomized to 1 of 24 conditions, each comprising weight management and health behavior intervention with different combinations of 4 components for 16 weeks. The 4 components are: telephone coaching vs email coaching vs no coaching, text messages vs no text messages, self-monitoring 4-7 days a week vs 1 day per week, and a family team intervention vs none.
TELEPHONE COACHING: Participants receive 1 phone call each week from a coach over 30-45 minutes to discuss diet, physical activity and goal setting.
EMAIL COACHING: Participants receive 1 phone call to discuss the process over 10-15 minutes and then receive 1 email each week for 16 weeks.
NO COACHING: Participants receive 1 phone call the first week over 10-15 minutes to discuss the process.
TEXT MESSAGING: Participants receive 7-12 text messages comprising information about diet and physical activity each week for 16 weeks.
SELF-MONITORING: Participants record their food intake and weight directly into the Fitbit website or application 4-7 days each week or 1 day each week for 16 weeks.
FAMILY TEAM INTERVENTION: Participants (patients and their family members) receive 2 group phone calls and join a Facebook group that is monitored by research staff where they can interact with each other and coaches. The Facebook group includes weekly updates on team progress, weekly family challenges and live online chats with a dietitian and exercise expert.
After completion of study, patients are followed up at 4 and 8 months.
- Being tested
- Behavioral Dietary Intervention, E-mail, Exercise Intervention, Health Promotion and Education, Internet-Based Intervention
- Medical subject headings
- Breast Cancer, Familial, Colorectal Neoplasms, Hereditary Nonpolyposis
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Behavioral Dietary InterventionBehavioural
Record food intake
E-mailOther
Also called Electronic Mail, Email
Receive e-mails
Exercise InterventionBehavioural
Undergo exercise
Health Promotion and EducationOther
Receive text messages
Internet-Based InterventionOther
Join Facebook page
Questionnaire AdministrationOther
Ancillary studies
Telephone-Based InterventionBehavioural
Receive telephone coaching
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Prevention (weight management, health behavior intervention) | Experimental | Participants undergo weight management and health behavior intervention with a combination of 4 components for 16 weeks. TELEPHONE COACHING: Participants receive 1 phone call each week from a coach over 30-45 minutes to discuss diet, physical activity and goal setting. EMAIL COACHING: Participants receive 1 phone call to discuss the process over 10-15 minutes and then receive 1 email each week for 16 weeks. NO COACHING: Participants receive 1 phone call the first week over 10-15 minutes to discuss the process. TEXT MESSAGING: Participants receive 7-12 text messages comprising information about diet and physical activity each week for 16 weeks. SELF-MONITORING: Participants record their food intake and weight directly into the Fitbit website or application 4-7 days each week or 1 day each week for 16 weeks. FAMILY TEAM INTERVENTION: Participants receive 2 group phone calls and join a Facebook group that is monitored by research staff where they can interact with each other and coaches. Receives: Behavioral: Behavioral Dietary Intervention; Other: E-mail; Behavioral: Exercise Intervention; Other: Health Promotion and Education; Other: Internet-Based Intervention; Other: Questionnaire Administration; Behavioral: Telephone-Based Intervention |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Percent weight loss
The data from the proposed factorial experiment will be analyzed through analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures. The outcome variable is the percent weight loss of each participant at 4 months. The fixed covariates include indicator variables for all intervention components. The model includes a random intercept that introduces within-family correlation. The main effect of each intervention component will be tested in an F-test at alpha = 0.0125 level. The pairwise interactions of the intervention components will be studied in an exploratory fashion. The optimal intervention is defined to be the combination of the four components that produces the best percent weight loss result within the resource constraints. Data can also be analyzed jointly in a linear mixed model that includes intervention components and time as fixed effect, family as random intercept and longitudinal correlation between 4 and 8 month data.
Measured: Baseline to 4 months
Secondary outcomes (3)
Fruit and vegetable consumption
The data from the proposed factorial experiment will be analyzed through ANOVA with repeated measures. The fixed covariates include indicator variables for all intervention components. The model includes a random intercept that introduces within-family correlation. The main effect of each intervention component will be tested in an F-test at alpha = 0.0125 level. Similar ANOVA analysis will be conducted for the 8 month outcome to study whether the intervention effect persists 4 months after the end of the intervention. The 4- and 8-month data can also be analyzed jointly in a linear mixed model that includes intervention components and time as fixed effect, family as random intercept and longitudinal correlation between 4 and 8 month data.
Measured: Up to 8 months
Percent energy from fat
The data from the proposed factorial experiment will be analyzed through ANOVA with repeated measures. The fixed covariates include indicator variables for all intervention components. The model includes a random intercept that introduces within-family correlation. The main effect of each intervention component will be tested in an F-test at alpha = 0.0125 level. Similar ANOVA analysis will be conducted for the 8 month outcome to study whether the intervention effect persists 4 months after the end of the intervention. The 4- and 8-month data can also be analyzed jointly in a linear mixed model that includes intervention components and time as fixed effect, family as random intercept and longitudinal correlation between 4 and 8 month data.
Measured: Up to 8 months
Physical activity
The data from the proposed factorial experiment will be analyzed through ANOVA with repeated measures. The fixed covariates include indicator variables for all intervention components. The model includes a random intercept that introduces within-family correlation. The main effect of each intervention component will be tested in an F-test at alpha = 0.0125 level. Similar ANOVA analysis will be conducted for the 8 month outcome to study whether the intervention effect persists 4 months after the end of the intervention. The 4- and 8-month data can also be analyzed jointly in a linear mixed model that includes intervention components and time as fixed effect, family as random intercept and longitudinal correlation between 4 and 8 month data.
Measured: Up to 8 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted14 Oct 2019
- Study start26 Jan 2017
- Primary completion30 Apr 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Apr 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Hereditary Breast CarcinomaStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by M.D. Anderson Cancer CenterThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Factorial
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 384 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Cancer Institute (NCI)
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Karen M Basen-Engquist, Principal investigator, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04125914
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2016-0775
- Other IDs
- NCI-2019-02453, 2016-0775
- Status last verified
- Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 6 May 2019
- Last updated
- 6 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 6 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- HEALTH4Families: Optimizing a Weight Management and Health Behavior Intervention for BRCA+ and Lynch Syndrome Families
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04125914
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2016-0775
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Active, not recruiting
- Enrolment
- 384 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- M.D. Anderson Cancer CenterUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Cancer Institute (NCI)
- Study start
- 26 Jan 2017 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Apr 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 30 Apr 2028 (estimated)
- First posted
- 14 Oct 2019 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This trial studies how well weight management and health behavior intervention works in helping patients with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer and Lynch syndrome mutation carriers lose or maintain a healthy weight and lower their risk for cancer. Lifestyle behaviors such as physical activity, diet, and weight management may play a key role in preventing cancers and improving outcomes even in those with hereditary cancer syndromes.
Detailed description
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:
- Identify the most effective intervention components for weight loss (primary outcome) and percent energy from fat, vegetable and fruit consumption, physical activity, and theory based behavioral determinants (secondary outcomes), with the goal of developing an optimized weight management intervention for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) and Lynch syndrome (LS) mutation carriers and their family members.
II. Identify the most effective intervention combination that could be delivered for a cost of $364 or less, which is the reimbursement level provided by Medicare for 6 months of intensive behavioral weight loss counseling.
III. Explore the effects of each component on weight loss, vegetable and fruit consumption, percent energy from fat, and physical activity 4 months after the end of the intervention.
IV. Evaluate whether the effects of the intervention components differ by mutation status, previous cancer diagnosis in the index participant, HBOC versus (vs) LS, family environment, and gender of index participant.
- Pilot test the intervention in MD Anderson's Cancer Prevention Center, to determine the feasibility of providing the intervention components in a clinical setting.
OUTLINE:
Participants are randomized to 1 of 24 conditions, each comprising weight management and health behavior intervention with different combinations of 4 components for 16 weeks. The 4 components are: telephone coaching vs email coaching vs no coaching, text messages vs no text messages, self-monitoring 4-7 days a week vs 1 day per week, and a family team intervention vs none.
TELEPHONE COACHING: Participants receive 1 phone call each week from a coach over 30-45 minutes to discuss diet, physical activity and goal setting.
EMAIL COACHING: Participants receive 1 phone call to discuss the process over 10-15 minutes and then receive 1 email each week for 16 weeks.
NO COACHING: Participants receive 1 phone call the first week over 10-15 minutes to discuss the process.
TEXT MESSAGING: Participants receive 7-12 text messages comprising information about diet and physical activity each week for 16 weeks.
SELF-MONITORING: Participants record their food intake and weight directly into the Fitbit website or application 4-7 days each week or 1 day each week for 16 weeks.
FAMILY TEAM INTERVENTION: Participants (patients and their family members) receive 2 group phone calls and join a Facebook group that is monitored by research staff where they can interact with each other and coaches. The Facebook group includes weekly updates on team progress, weekly family challenges and live online chats with a dietitian and exercise expert.
After completion of study, patients are followed up at 4 and 8 months.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Factorial
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Prevention (weight management, health behavior intervention) | Experimental | Behavioral: Behavioral Dietary Intervention, Other: E-mail, Behavioral: Exercise Intervention, Other: Health Promotion and Education, Other: Internet-Based Intervention, Other: Questionnaire Administration, Behavioral: Telephone-Based InterventionParticipants undergo weight management and health behavior intervention with a combination of 4 components for 16 weeks. TELEPHONE COACHING: Participants receive 1 phone call each week from a coach over 30-45 minutes to discuss diet, physical activity and goal setting. EMAIL COACHING: Participants receive 1 phone call to discuss the process over 10-15 minutes and then receive 1 email each week for 16 weeks. NO COACHING: Participants receive 1 phone call the first week over 10-15 minutes to discuss the process. TEXT MESSAGING: Participants receive 7-12 text messages comprising information about diet and physical activity each week for 16 weeks. SELF-MONITORING: Participants record their food intake and weight directly into the Fitbit website or application 4-7 days each week or 1 day each week for 16 weeks. FAMILY TEAM INTERVENTION: Participants receive 2 group phone calls and join a Facebook group that is monitored by research staff where they can interact with each other and coaches. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (15 listed)
- HEALTH4Families only: Positive for either HBOC or LS predisposing mutations OR a family member of a mutation carrier (family members do not need to be biological relatives).
- HEALTH4Families only: Index participant ONLY: Must have at least one family member who is eligible and consents to participation.
- Have at least one of the following risk factors:
- Able to read and write English.
- Have a cellular telephone and are able and willing to send and receive text messages.
Key exclusion criteria (8 listed)
- Unable to walk without crutches, walker, cane, or other assistive device.
- Women who are pregnant or nursing (by self-report).
- Currently receiving radiation therapy or cytotoxic chemotherapy.
- Within 3 months of major surgery.
- Does not live in the United States.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Behavioral Dietary InterventionRecord food intake | Behavioural | Prevention (weight management, health behavior intervention) |
| E-mailAlso: Electronic Mail, EmailReceive e-mails | Other | Prevention (weight management, health behavior intervention) |
| Exercise InterventionUndergo exercise | Behavioural | Prevention (weight management, health behavior intervention) |
| Health Promotion and EducationReceive text messages | Other | Prevention (weight management, health behavior intervention) |
| Internet-Based InterventionJoin Facebook page | Other | Prevention (weight management, health behavior intervention) |
| Questionnaire AdministrationAncillary studies | Other | Prevention (weight management, health behavior intervention) |
| Telephone-Based InterventionReceive telephone coaching | Behavioural | Prevention (weight management, health behavior intervention) |
Primary outcome
Percent weight loss
Time frame: Baseline to 4 months
The data from the proposed factorial experiment will be analyzed through analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures. The outcome variable is the percent weight loss of each participant at 4 months. The fixed covariates include indicator variables for all intervention components. The model includes a random intercept that introduces within-family correlation. The main effect of each intervention component will be tested in an F-test at alpha = 0.0125 level. The pairwise interactions of the intervention components will be studied in an exploratory fashion. The optimal intervention is defined to be the combination of the four components that produces the best percent weight loss result within the resource constraints. Data can also be analyzed jointly in a linear mixed model that includes intervention components and time as fixed effect, family as random intercept and longitudinal correlation between 4 and 8 month data.
3 secondary outcomes
Fruit and vegetable consumption
Time frame: Up to 8 months
Percent energy from fat
Time frame: Up to 8 months
Physical activity
Time frame: Up to 8 months
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 6 Oct 2026.
- MD Anderson Cancer Center WebsiteLink provided by the sponsor.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Karen M Basen-Engquist principal investigator
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Behavioral Dietary Intervention, E-mail and Exercise Intervention in people with Hereditary Breast Carcinoma and Hereditary Ovarian Carcinoma, run by M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 15 inclusion and 8 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 6 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Percent weight loss (time frame: Baseline to 4 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 6 Oct 2026.