Ketogenic Dietary Intervention to Improve Response to Immunotherapy in Patients With Metastatic Melanoma and Metastatic Kidney Cancer

Not Applicable

Recruiting

• Conditions: Clinical Stage IV Cutaneous Melanoma AJCC v8; Metastatic Cutaneous Melanoma; Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma; Stage IV Renal Cell Cancer AJCC v8

• Registration Number: NCT06391099
• Lead Sponsor: Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center

Brief Summary

This phase I trial studies how well a ketogenic dietary intervention works to improve response to immunotherapy in patients with melanoma and kidney cancer that has spread from where it first started (primary site) to other places in the body (metastatic). A ketogenic diet (KD) means eating fewer carbohydrates and more fats. The purpose is to use ketones (normal breakdown from fat) instead of glucose (sugar) as an energy source. Researchers want to see whether a ketogenic diet can improve tumor response in patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). ICI are newer treatment options that help the immune system better fight some cancers. Following a KD may improve tumor response in patients with metastatic melanoma and metastatic kidney cancer treated with ICI.

Detailed Description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:

I. To evaluate the safety and feasibility of establishing a ketogenic dietary intervention trial with longitudinal biospecimen collection in the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center (OSUCCC) cutaneous and genitourinary oncology clinics.

EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVE:

I. To assess whether the microbiome (binary, high versus \[vs\] low diversity) mediates the relationship between time in ketosis (days with peripheral blood beta-hydroxybutyric acid \[BHB\] \> 0.5 mM) and tumor size over the course of treatment.

OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms.

ARM I: Patients undergo a ketogenic dietary intervention with personalized coaching from a dietician about the KD, which includes extensive educational and ongoing support on the KD and continuous ketone monitoring by talking to a dietician directly, with the ability to text a dietician at any time and expect a response within 12 hours over 24weeks. Patients also undergo daily blood glucose and ketone monitoring, undergo computed tomography (CT), undergo blood sample collection and may undergo stool sample collection on the study.

ARM II: Patients follow a standard of care diet on the study.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2024-04-25
• Study First Submitted QC: 2024-04-25
• Study First Posted: 2024-04-30
• Status Verified: 2025-06
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-06-26
• Last Update Posted: 2025-06-29
• Study Start: 2025-07-10
• Primary Completion: 2026-12-31
• Study Completion: 2026-12-31

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 60

Inclusion Criteria

• Males and females, age >= 18 years
• Clinical site A will include patients with confirmed diagnosis of metastatic melanoma (including those with brain metastases) receiving first line treatment with combination nivolumab and ipilimumab or single agent ipilimumab, nivolumab, pembrolizumab
• Clinical site B will include patients with confirmed diagnosis of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) (including those with brain metastases) receiving first line treatment with combination nivolumab and ipilimumab or single agent PD-1 inhibitor (e.g., nivolumab, pembrolizumab)
• Scheduled for imaging every 6 to 12 weeks for metastatic melanoma (MM) and mRCC as is standard of care per National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines
• Able to read, understand, and provide written informed consent
• Willing to provide stool specimen for research studies as outlined in the timeline
• Willing to participate in a ketogenic diet (KD)

Exclusion Criteria

• Individuals < 18 years of age
• Unable or unwilling to provide consent
• Patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus or type 2 diabetes using insulin
• Patients who are clinically underweight (body mass index [BMI] < 18.5) at the start of treatment
• Other active malignancy (other than adequately treated and cured basal or squamous cell skin cancer, curatively treated in situ disease, or any other cancer from which the patient has been disease free >=5 years)
• Currently consuming a low-carbohydrate (< 130 g/day) or ketogenic diet or done so in the last 6-months
• Women who are known to be pregnant are excluded. However no additional pregnancy testing out of what would be recommended prior to initiating anti-cancer therapy will be performed solely for this study
• Patients currently participating in an interventional or therapeutic clinical trial involving the use of active anti-cancer therapy

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Incidence of adverse events	Up to 1 year	Will be assessed by immune-related adverse events (irAEs), serious adverse events (SAEs), Treatment Emergent Adverse Events (TEAEs), clinical laboratory, vital signs, physical examinations. Will be monitored during study visits and telephone calls using the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0, which also includes irAEs. Grade 3, 4 and 5 toxicities will be reported as adverse events.
Adherence (feasibility measure)	Up to 1 year	Adherence will be defined as \> 80% of days in ketosis and compliant as collecting all gut microbiome specimens. Diet adherence and progress will be assessed daily using at-home whole capillary blood glucose and continuous ketone monitoring devices

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center; 🇺🇸 Columbus, Ohio, United States