Adding spice to improve chemotherapy symptoms

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Researchers at Bond University will investigate the use of ginger supplementation to help cancer patients who may experience chemo-related nausea and vomiting, thanks to funding from Cancer Council.

Nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy can significantly affect patients’ appetite, quality of life and nutrition status, with previous studies suggesting ginger might be beneficial.

Professor Liz Isenring, Program Head of Nutrition and Dietetics at Bond University in Queensland, said the University’s recent testing had achieved promising results.

“We conducted a double blinded placebo controlled study in 51 cancer patients and found that the use of ginger supplementation was able to reduce chemotherapy-related symptoms,” Prof Isenring said.

“However, while promising, bigger trials are needed to confirm these results before we can recommend the use of ginger as part of practice.

“Cancer Council funding will allow for a much larger trial. We anticipate recruiting up to 300 participants within Queensland and will commence the trial this year.”

Bond University received a two-year $200,000 Cancer Council research grant.

Cancer Council Queensland spokesperson Katie Clift said tens of thousands of Queensland patients could benefit from the study.

“Ensuring quality of life for all cancer patients, from diagnosis to treatment and beyond, is a priority for Cancer Council Queensland,” Ms Clift said.

“Cancer patients undergo a range of side effects during treatment, and we hope this research provides a solution to minimise the effects of chemotherapy.

“We are proud to be funding this local research to benefit all Queenslanders, all cancers.”

The Bond University research grant is one of 10 research projects Cancer Council Queensland has funded in 2017/18.

A full list of Cancer Council’s 2017/18 research grants is available online at cancerqld.org.au.

More than 26,000 Queenslanders are diagnosed with cancer each year, and about 8600 die from the disease.

More information about Cancer Council Queensland is available on 13 11 20 or cancerqld.org.au.

ENDS

For more information or interviews, please contact:
Katie Clift,
Executive Manager,
Media and Spokesperson,
Cancer Council Queensland
Phone: (07) 3634 5372
Mobile: 0409 001 171

 

CCQ Project Grants 2017/18

CIA Institution Project Title
Dr Li Zhang Griffith University

 

Prevention of central venous catheter infection and occlusion by needleless connector design and disinfection in haematology-oncology patients
Dr Antiopi Varelias QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute

 

Understanding the interplay between cytokines and intestinal dysbiosis following stem cell transplantation
Prof Alpha Yap The University of Queensland

 

Down-regulation of RhoA signaling mediates HGF/MET-induced tumour progression

 

Dr James Wells The University of Queensland

 

Memory CD8+ T-cell function in squamous cell carcinoma
Dr Siok-Keen Tey QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute

 

Treatment of chronic graft-versus-host disease with regulatory T cell-directed therapy — insights from gene-marking
A/Prof Kiarash Khosrotehrani UQ Diamantina Institute

 

Predictors of mortality in thin melanomas
Dr Lionel Hebbard

 

James Cook University Clarifying the controversial role of fructose in liver cancer
Prof Elizabeth Isenring

 

Bond University Supplemental Prophylactic Intervention for Chemotherapy-induced Nausea and Emesis (SPICE) trial
Dr Graham Leggatt The University of Queensland

 

Local targeting of immunomodulatory molecules on CD8 T cells in non-melanoma skin cancer
Dr Jyotsna Batra Queensland University of Technology

 

Genetic association study of miRSNPs with risk and prognosis of prostate cancer