Diet and Lifestyle Intervention among Patients with Colorectal Adenomas: Rationale and Design of a Malaysian Study

Comprehensive evaluation of the large body of consistent evidence from laboratory, epidemiologic and clinical ‍studies has led to the conclusion that modification of the dietary and lifestyle patterns of populations has considerable ‍potential for reducing cancer risk. This paper describes a randomized-controlled trial involving a diet and lifestyle ‍intervention for patients with history of colorectal adenomas. The primary aim of this trial is to evaluate the ‍effectiveness of the intervention with reference to recurrence of adenomatous polyps over a two year period - the ‍first year being the intervention period and the second year of the study allowing for post-intervention follow-up. ‍Subjects found to fit the inclusion criteria are recruited and randomized to two groups: the intervention group and ‍the control group. The intervention group subjects will attend a monthly lecture-discussion session for 10 months ‍and small group counseling on modification of lifestyle behavior and diet as well as receive educational materials ‍which were adapted from the WCRF Diet and Health Recommendations for Cancer Prevention. Control subjects ‍will be provided with the usual care given to such patients. One hundred and sixteen patients who were diagnosed ‍with colorectal adenomatous polyps in the previous twelve months at the Hospital Kuala Lumpur have already ‍been enrolled in this trial. Baseline data collection is on-going.