Exercise and Nutrition to Improve Cancer Treatment-Related Outcomes (ENICTO)

Authors

Kathryn H. Schmitz, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
Justin C. Brown, Pennington Biomedical Research Center
Melinda L. Irwin, Yale University
Kim Robien, Milken Institute School of Public Health
Jessica M. Scott, Weill Cornell Medicine
Nathan A. Berger, CASE School of Medicine
Bette Caan, Kaiser Permanente Division of Research
Andrea Cercek, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Tracy E. Crane, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
Scott R. Evans, Milken Institute School of Public Health
Jennifer A. Ligibel, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Jeffrey A. Meyerhardt, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Tanya Agurs-Collins, National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Karen Basen-Engquist, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Jennifer W. Bea, University of Arizona Cancer Center
Sheng F. Cai, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Brenda Cartmel, Yale University
Vernon M. Chinchilli, Penn State College of Medicine
Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, The University of Alabama at Birmingham
Christina M. Dieli-Conwright, Harvard Medical School
Loretta DiPietro, Milken Institute School of Public Health
Shawna E. Doerksen, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
Sharon L. Edelstein, Milken Institute School of Public Health
Joanne Elena, National Cancer Institute (NCI)
William Evans, Department of Nutritional Sciences & Toxicology
Leah M. Ferrucci, Yale Cancer Center
Julia Foldi, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
Sarah Freylersythe, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
Helena Furberg, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Lee W. Jones, Weill Cornell Medicine
Ross Levine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Chaya S. Moskowitz, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Cynthia Owusu, CASE School of Medicine

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2025

Abstract

Chemotherapy treatment-related side effects are common and increase the risk of suboptimal outcomes. Exercise interventions during cancer treatment improve self-reported physical functioning, fatigue, anxiety, and depression, but it is unclear whether these interventions improve important clinical outcomes, such as chemotherapy relative dose intensity. The National Cancer Institute funded the Exercise and Nutrition to Improve Cancer Treatment-Related Outcomes (ENICTO) Consortium to address this knowledge gap. This article describes the mechanisms hypothesized to underpin intervention effects on clinically relevant treatment outcomes, briefly outlines each project’s distinct research aims, summarizes the scope and organizational structure of ENICTO, and provides an overview of the integrated common data elements used to pursue research questions collectively. In addition, the article includes a description of consortium-wide activities and broader research community opportunities for collaborative research. Findings from the ENICTO Consortium have the potential to accelerate a paradigm shift in oncology care such that patients with cancer could receive exercise and nutrition programming as the standard of care in tandem with chemotherapy to improve relative dose intensity for a curative outcome.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Journal of the National Cancer Institute

First Page

9

Last Page

19

Recommended Citation

Schmitz, K., Brown, J., Irwin, M., Robien, K., Scott, J., Berger, N., Caan, B., Cercek, A., Crane, T., Evans, S., Ligibel, J., Meyerhardt, J., Agurs-Collins, T., Basen-Engquist, K., Bea, J., Cai, S., Cartmel, B., Chinchilli, V., Demark-Wahnefried, W., Dieli-Conwright, C., DiPietro, L., Doerksen, S., Edelstein, S., Elena, J., Evans, W., Ferrucci, L., Foldi, J., Freylersythe, S., Furberg, H., Jones, L., Levine, R., Moskowitz, C., & Owusu, C. (2025). Exercise and Nutrition to Improve Cancer Treatment-Related Outcomes (ENICTO). Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 117 (1), 9-19. https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djae177