AzTrials
AzTrials

NeoplasmsNCT05256888

Time-Restricted Eating to Address Persistent Cancer-Related Fatigue

A study testing Time-restricted eating and Healthy lifestyle education in people with Neoplasms and Therapy, run by University of Maryland, Baltimore at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

This study will assess the feasibility of delivering a 12-week time-restricted eating intervention as well as the intervention's preliminary efficacy on persistent cancer-related fatigue among cancer survivors compared to a general health education control. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Neoplasms, Therapy, Fatigue
What is being tested?
Time-restricted eating and Healthy lifestyle education
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
50 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
26 Jan 2023to 1 Jun 2024
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

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

  • Have completed adjuvant chemotherapy, surgery, and/or radiation for cancer, including chemotherapy for hematologic neoplasms, at least 2 months and not more than 2 years prior to enrolling,
  • Have a baseline level of fatigue, as determined by reporting a score of 4 or higher for the question, "In the last week, how bad was your worst fatigue on a scale from 0-10?"
  • Be able to speak and/or read and write in English,
  • Be at least 18 years old,
  • Own a smartphone,
  • Be willing and able to adhere to study procedures, including use of a smartphone app, and
  • Be able to provide informed consent.

Who cannot join

  • Already eat all their food within a window that is 10 h or shorter most (6/7) days of the week,
  • Be underweight, as defined as a body mass index ≤18.5 kg/m2,
  • Have surgery planned during the study duration,
  • Have any contraindications to the proposed nutrition intervention as identified by their medical provider, their designee, or the study team (e.g., type 1 diabetes, risk for hypoglycemia, medication requirements, pregnancy, breastfeeding, recent history of an eating disorder),
  • Be taking insulin, or
  • Be on enteral or parenteral nutrition.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • University of Maryland, Baltimore

    Baltimore, Maryland, 21201

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Time-Restricted Eating to Address Persistent Cancer-Related Fatigue: The Fatigue REDuction After Cancer (FREDA) Trial

This study will assess the feasibility of delivering a 12-week time-restricted eating intervention as well as the intervention's preliminary efficacy on persistent cancer-related fatigue among cancer survivors compared to a general health education control. Participants will be randomized 1:1 to one of two arms: time-restricted eating or control. Those in the intervention arm will self-select a 10-hour eating window in which to consume all food and beverages (water is allowed any time, black coffee and unsweetened tea are allowed in the morning). Both groups will receive weekly educational tips on healthy lifestyle behaviors in cancer survivorship. This study will also explore relationships between fatigue, circadian rhythm, and glucose metabolism.

The hypothesis is that recruitment will be feasible, and participants will adhere to time-restricted eating and complete study activities over the course of the 12 weeks. The second hypothesis is that time-restricted eating will lead to less fatigue at 12 weeks compared to the control, accounting for baseline fatigue levels.

Being tested
Time-restricted eating, Healthy lifestyle education
Medical subject headings
Neoplasms, Fatigue, Intermittent Fasting

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Time-restricted eatingBehavioural

    12 weeks of time-restricted eating (10-hour window)

  • Healthy lifestyle educationBehavioural

    Weekly tips on healthy lifestyle behaviors (e.g., diet, exercise, sleep) for 12 weeks

Study groups in NCT05256888
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Time-restricted eatingExperimentalParticipants will self-select a 10-hour window in which to consume all food and beverages (with the exception of black coffee and unsweetened tea in the mornings; water is okay at all times). Participants will also receive weekly tips to encourage a healthy lifestyle in cancer survivorship.
Receives: Behavioral: Time-restricted eating; Behavioral: Healthy lifestyle education
ControlOtherParticipants will receive weekly tips to encourage healthy lifestyle behaviors in cancer survivorship.
Receives: Behavioral: Healthy lifestyle education

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Feasibility, as Assessed by the Percentage of Participants Who Enrolled Completed the Study

    To assess feasibility, the percentage of participants who provide evaluable data regarding their eating window at baseline and 12 weeks will be assessed.

    Measured: 12 weeks

  2. Fatigue, as Assessed Using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-F) Questionnaire

    FACIT-F fatigue subscale scores will be compared for those in the time-restricted eating group vs. the control group at week 12, controlling for baseline levels. This questionnaire is 13-items long. The scale is from 0-52, and a higher score indicates less fatigue.

    Measured: 12 weeks

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted25 Feb 2022
  2. Study start26 Jan 2023
  3. Primary completion1 Jun 2024
  4. Study completion1 Jun 2024

Resources

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
Supportive care
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
50 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05256888
Sponsor's protocol ID
HP-00099067
Other IDs
UL1TR003098
Status last verified
Jul 2026
First submitted
16 Feb 2022
Last updated
20 Jul 2026
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No

Publications

  • Kleckner AS, Clingan CL, Youngblood SM, Kleckner IR, Quick L, Elrod RD, Zhu S, Manoogian ENC, Panda S, Badros AZ, Emadi A. Time-restricted eating to address persistent cancer-related fatigue among cancer survivors: a randomized controlled trial. Support Care Cancer. 2025 Apr 5;33(4):353. doi: 10.1007/s00520-025-09394-w.

    PubMed 40186671

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Time-restricted eating and Healthy lifestyle education in people with Neoplasms and Therapy, run by University of Maryland, Baltimore 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 7 inclusion and 6 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: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 20 Jul 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?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 7 May 2025). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

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?

Feasibility, as Assessed by the Percentage of Participants Who Enrolled Completed the Study (time frame: 12 weeks). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT05256888, which also lists 1 linked publication.

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 20 Jul 2026.

Free account

Log in to keep searching

You’ve used your 3 free searches. AzTrials is free: log in or create a free account to keep searching clinical trials and save the ones you want to follow.

Create a free accountLog in