Sunnybrook-led team awarded $1.4M grant to improve nutrition for patients with stomach cancer

A collaborative team of patients, clinicians, and scientists led by surgeon-scientist Dr. Natalie Coburn has been awarded nearly $1.4M in funding by the Canadian Cancer Society to research and develop a set of tailored nutritional guidelines that will improve quality of life and lead to better treatment outcomes for patients with stomach cancer.

“Up to 85 per cent of patients with stomach cancer are diagnosed with poor nutrition and experience difficulties such as poor appetite and nutrient absorption, blockage of the bowels, and symptoms such as nausea, bloating and pain,” says Dr. Natalie Coburn, principal investigator and surgical oncologist at Sunnybrook. “Our aim is to better understand the unique needs of these patients and create a set of personalized nutritional guidelines that will improve quality of life and lead to better treatment outcomes.”

The research team includes Sunnybrook co-investigators Dr. Julie Hallet and Dr. Frances Wright, as well as team members from across Canada and the United States. Integral to the project are six patient/caregiver partners, including members from the Stomach Cancer Foundation of Canada and Master’s student Monica Yuen who was motivated to help improve the cancer care system after losing her mother to gastric cancer.

The five-year research project is one of 10 research teams awarded through the Canadian Cancer Society’s October 2022 Breakthrough Team Grants Competition, which focuses on supporting creative and innovative research for low-survival cancers.

Read more about the CCS Breakthrough Team Grants: Transforming Low Survival Cancers