Grant Number:	5R01CA230446-06 Interpret this number
Primary Investigator:	Gany, Francesca
Organization:	Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
Project Title:	Food (Food to Overcome Outcomes Disparities)
Fiscal Year:	2023

Project Summary The World Health Organization defines food security as having access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life. Food security includes both physical and economic access to food that meets people's dietary needs and preferences. The 18-item, 12-month time-referenced U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module (USDA) categorizes individuals as having high food security, marginal food security, low food security, or very low food security. Food insecurity is growing in the U.S., with an overall prevalence of 12.7% (low and very low food security). The prevalence of food insecurity among immigrant and minority communities exceeds the national average. Food insecurity is associated with non-adherence to treatment. Food-insecure patients are more likely to postpone care and often cannot afford prescribed medication(s). Food-insecure patients have significantly higher levels of nutritional risk, depression, financial strain, and lower quality of life. Nutrition interventions result in enhanced quality of life. Cancer patients are particularly vulnerable to both food insecurity and its impact, due to the intensity of treatment protocols and the disease process itself. A study among a cohort of underserved cancer patients in New York City showed that 56% were food insecure, with 38% of the cohort with very low food security. Treatment adherence is an important determinant of survival among cancer patients. However, among ethnic minority cancer patients, unmet socioeconomic and supportive care needs are associated with patient-reported missed radiation, and/or chemotherapy appointments. Food insecurity potentially acts as a mediating factor, as functional, social, and emotional well-being decrease significantly with increasing food insecurity. Prior to our work, there had been only one study examining food insecurity in cancer patients. There is to date no evidence base on interventions to address food insecurity, and their potential to ameliorate cancer and other chronic disease treatment completion disparities. Food to Overcome Outcomes Disparities (FOOD) addresses this gap as the first large study of its kind to examine food interventions in vulnerable populations and their impact on breast cancer treatment completion. Results have the potential to guide program and policy change. FOOD will utilize a three arm randomized controlled trial to assess the impact of a hospital-based medically tailored food pantry (Pantry) versus a food voucher program (Voucher) versus a home grocery delivery program (Delivery) on cancer treatment completion. FOOD is a partnership between the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities (IHCD) Service, the Food Bank for New York City, the New York City Council, the New York City Health and Hospitals, God's Love We Deliver, and Saint Barnabas Hospital. This study builds upon the foundation laid by a seminal pilot feasibility randomized controlled trial, which examined a scalable, clinic-based food pantry, a food voucher program, and home grocery delivery.




"I wish I knew about these programs before!" A brief report exploring barriers to financial assistance reported by gynecological oncology patients.
Authors: Doherty M. , Jacoby J. , Gany F. .
Source: Journal Of Psychosocial Oncology, 2022-12-14 00:00:00.0; , p. 1-9.
EPub date: 2022-12-14 00:00:00.0.
PMID: 36514954
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Food Insecurity Among People With Cancer: Nutritional Needs as an Essential Component of Care.
Authors: Raber M. , Jackson A. , Basen-Engquist K. , Bradley C. , Chambers S. , Gany F.M. , Halbert C.H. , Lindau S.T. , Pérez-Escamilla R. , Seligman H. .
Source: Journal Of The National Cancer Institute, 2022-12-08 00:00:00.0; 114(12), p. 1577-1583.
PMID: 36130287
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Social determinants and health-related quality of life in a sample of diverse, low socioeconomic status cancer patients.
Authors: Lui F. , Finik J. , Leng J. , Gany F. .
Source: Psycho-oncology, 2022 11; 31(11), p. 1922-1932.
EPub date: 2022-08-19 00:00:00.0.
PMID: 35953894
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Food to Overcome Outcomes Disparities: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Food Insecurity Interventions to Improve Cancer Outcomes.
Authors: Gany F. , Melnic I. , Wu M. , Li Y. , Finik J. , Ramirez J. , Blinder V. , Kemeny M. , Guevara E. , Hwang C. , et al. .
Source: Journal Of Clinical Oncology : Official Journal Of The American Society Of Clinical Oncology, 2022-06-16 00:00:00.0; , p. JCO2102400.
EPub date: 2022-06-16 00:00:00.0.
PMID: 35709430
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The association between housing and food insecurity among medically underserved cancer patients.
Authors: Gany F. , Melnic I. , Ramirez J. , Wu M. , Li Y. , Paolantonio L. , Roberts-Eversley N. , Blinder V. , Leng J. .
Source: Supportive Care In Cancer : Official Journal Of The Multinational Association Of Supportive Care In Cancer, 2021-06-24 00:00:00.0; , .
EPub date: 2021-06-24 00:00:00.0.
PMID: 34169329
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Tailoring nutrition and cancer education materials for breast cancer patients.
Authors: Melnic I. , Alvarado A.E. , Claros M. , Martinez C.I. , Gonzalez J. , Gany F. .
Source: Patient Education And Counseling, 2021-06-02 00:00:00.0; , .
EPub date: 2021-06-02 00:00:00.0.
PMID: 34140197
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Food Insecurity among Cancer Patients Enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Authors: Gany F. , Melnic I. , Ramirez J. , Wu M. , Li Y. , Paolantonio L. , Smith J. , Pan S. , Roberts-Eversley N. , Blinder V. , et al. .
Source: Nutrition And Cancer, 2021; 73(2), p. 206-214.
EPub date: 2020-04-09 00:00:00.0.
PMID: 32268803
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Financial and food security challenges of Egyptian women undergoing breast cancer treatment.
Authors: Gany F. , Ayash C. , Raad N. , Wu M. , Roberts-Eversley N. , Mahmoud H. , Fouad Y. , Fahmy Y. , Asar H. , Salama A. , et al. .
Source: Supportive Care In Cancer : Official Journal Of The Multinational Association Of Supportive Care In Cancer, 2020 Dec; 28(12), p. 5787-5794.
EPub date: 2020-03-27 00:00:00.0.
PMID: 32221669
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The Nutrition Benefits Participation Gap: Barriers to Uptake of SNAP and WIC Among Latinx American Immigrant Families.
Authors: Pelto D.J. , Ocampo A. , Garduño-Ortega O. , Barraza López C.T. , Macaluso F. , Ramirez J. , González J. , Gany F. .
Source: Journal Of Community Health, 2020 06; 45(3), p. 488-491.
PMID: 31630308
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Impact of Cancer on Employment.
Authors: Blinder V.S. , Gany F.M. .
Source: Journal Of Clinical Oncology : Official Journal Of The American Society Of Clinical Oncology, 2020-02-01 00:00:00.0; 38(4), p. 302-309.
EPub date: 2019-12-05 00:00:00.0.
PMID: 31804857
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Development of a Medically Tailored Hospital-based Food Pantry System.
Authors: Gany F.M. , Pan S. , Ramirez J. , Paolantonio L. .
Source: Journal Of Health Care For The Poor And Underserved, 2020; 31(2), p. 595-602.
PMID: 33410795
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Food Purchasing Behavior of Food Insecure Cancer Patients Receiving Supplemental Food Vouchers.
Authors: Paolantonio L. , Kim S.Y. , Ramirez J. , Roberts-Eversley N. , Li Y. , Melnic I. , Wu M. , Jutagir D.R. , Smith J. , Oladele M. , et al. .
Source: Supportive Care In Cancer : Official Journal Of The Multinational Association Of Supportive Care In Cancer, 2019-12-11 00:00:00.0; , .
EPub date: 2019-12-11 00:00:00.0.
PMID: 31828492
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