Exploring Nutrition in Myeloma Care: Join the NUTRIVENTION-5 Trial

When navigating a new multiple myeloma diagnosis, finding ways to actively support your health and well-being is often a top priority. Recent research shows that what you eat may play a role in managing your overall wellness during therapy. To better understand this connection, researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) are leading an exciting new study called the NUTRIVENTION-5 trial.

The HealthTree community is invited to explore this remote clinical trial. It is designed to evaluate how dietary habits can work alongside standard care to support your recovery, track your body's immune markers, and improve your daily quality of life.

What is the NUTRIVENTION-5 Study?

The NUTRIVENTION-5 trial is a completely remote clinical study. It is focused on patients who are starting standard therapy for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. Led by Principal Investigator Dr. Urvi A. Shah, the study aims to understand how structured dietary changes affect a patient's response to treatment, daily well-being, metabolism, and immune health. It also looks closely at the gut microbiome, which is the collection of healthy bacteria in your digestive tract that influences overall wellness.

You will also help us answer this important question: Can something as fundamental as what we eat influence the biology of myeloma and support health during treatment?

-Dr. Urvi Shah

What are the study details?

If you choose to participate, you will continue working directly with your local oncologist. There are absolutely no changes made to your prescribed medical cancer treatment. Instead, the study acts as a supportive layer to your routine care.

Participants in the trial are randomly assigned to one of two tracking groups:

• The Intervention group: This group participates in a 12-week program that provides pre-made, plant-based, dairy-free frozen meals delivered directly to your home. This group also receives personalized nutrition coaching and joins weekly group support sessions with a registered dietitian.
• The usual care group: This group follows their normal routine during initial treatment. After finishing their initial therapy cycles, they receive a $200 gift card, a personalized nutrition report, and a detailed meeting with a registered dietitian to guide their future eating habits.

To track health progress, both groups complete regular online surveys and provide blood, stool, and bone marrow samples. These samples help researchers study real-time changes in immune cells and metabolic health.

How to participate in this study?

Because the NUTRIVENTION-5 study is conducted completely over the internet and through the mail, you can participate from the comfort of your home anywhere in the United States. You do not need to travel to MSKCC. All study items, including the shipped meals, dietitian coaching sessions, and sample shipping kits, are completely free of charge. Your standard myeloma medical treatments and routine biopsies continue to be covered normally by your personal health insurance through your local doctor.

You may be eligible to join this study if you meet the following criteria:

• You have a confirmed, new diagnosis of multiple myeloma.
• You are planning to receive, or have just started, at least 4 cycles of standard quadruplet therapy (such as a regimen combining daratumumab or isatuximab with lenalidomide, bortezomib, and a steroid).
• You are currently at a United States medical center that uses the EPIC electronic medical record system with MyChart, allowing you to securely share your records with the study team.
• Your doctor is already planning to check your bone marrow for minimal residual disease (MRD) after your first four cycles of treatment.
• You are not currently following a strict plant-based diet or enrolled in another commercial weight-loss program.

Important timing note 

To take part, you must reach out to the MSKCC research team before Day 15 of your very first cycle of chemotherapy. Additionally, individuals with severe peanut or tree nut allergies are not eligible due to the dietary meal plans.

Using diet as a complement to improve your health during myeloma treatment

The NUTRIVENTION-5 trial builds upon a growing foundation of scientific evidence showing how lifestyle habits intersect with plasma cell disorders. If you want to learn more about how nutrition influences the earlier stages of plasma cell diseases, we highly recommend checking out our previous community review on the HealthTree Diet and Smoldering Multiple Myeloma Research. Reading about earlier clinical trials and laboratory findings can give you a deeper understanding of why evaluating plant-based nutrition is a vital step forward for standard myeloma care.

Take an active role in your care! 

Taking an active role in your care path means gathering information early so you can make informed decisions alongside your medical team. If you are newly diagnosed and want to explore this opportunity, consider these next steps:

• Check your calendar or talk to your care team to see exactly when your first treatment cycle begins. Remember that you must connect with the study coordinators before your 15th day of treatment.

• If you meet the criteria or simply want to ask a question about your eligibility, send an email directly to the MSKCC trial team at shahnutrivention@mskcc.org. You can also view the official study database listing at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT07226609).

What can I do if I am interested in the study but not match the eligibility criteria?

If you really like the idea of using nutrition to support your health, we have many available resources you can visit to have a clear understanding of how you can get started. For instance, we have a whole free course featuring Dr. Urvi Shah, lead investigator from NUTRIVENTION studies, where she talks about Nutrition and Diet as a Biologically-Based Therapy. 

Watch the recording of the event featuring Dr. Shah and our founder Jenny Ahlstrom, to get a deeper dive on Dietary Research in Blood Cancers: Exploring the Impact of a Plant-Based Diet

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