Global Research on Appearance in Cancer (GRACE)
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- This is an observational study: the protocol does not assign a study treatment.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Cancer. Basic parameters: from 18 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Sweden
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →
Official title
The GRACE Study - Global Research on Appearance in Cancer
Overview
Gaining insight into how weight loss is perceived by persons with advanced cancer, and identifying potential differences related to gender and country of residence, is essential for developing comprehensive, equitable, gender-sensitive recommendations for medical nutrition therapy, with the aim of improving disease outcome.
Detailed description
This is a multi-country cross-sectional study. Fifty men and 50 women, 18 years and above, diagnosed with advanced cancer, with a life expectancy of \> 3 months, from eight countries (Australia, Chile, Germany, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, Vietnam) will be invited to participate. Study participants will be recruited at cancer clinics, where they will receive a QR code providing access a digital questionnaire one time. No personal information, such as name, address, or social security number, is collected. Therefore, the digital questionnaire is anonymous. Data will be collected on various variables, including weight (in kilograms or pounds) and weight history (weight before diagnosis), height (in centimeters or inches), previous weight loss attempts, education (completed high school/completed college), marital status, body image (Body Image Scale, nutrition impact symptoms (Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale) and dietary habits (questions about choice of foods in the past week).
Regarding missing data, Body Image Scale (BIS), missing items will be handled strictly according to the scoring protocol. No imputation will be applied to other variables, which will be analyzed using complete cases.
The proposed sample size is considered appropriate and sufficient to generate valuable insights for the research community in the field of palliative care. While the sample size is not derived from a formal power calculation, the inclusion of 50 men and 50 women from each study site is anticipated to provide robust and meaningful data to address the study objectives effectively.The data will be processed at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
The statistical analysis to address the objectives is ANCOVA, which will be applied to assess group differences while controlling for covariates.
Primary outcome measures
- Body image [Time frame: 2025-2027]
Secondary outcome measures (1)
- Body Image, weight loss, percent weight loss and appetite [Time frame: 2025-2027]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Clinical diagnosis of cancer
- Must be able to understand the consent form
Exclusion criteria
\- Expected survival time < 3 months
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Observational model
- Other
Study locations
Sweden · 1 center
- Karolinska Institutet — Stockholm
Publications
- Goodrose-Flores C, Bonn S, Trolle Lagerros Y, Arends J, Blum D, Figueroa Donoso C, Frazier H, Lin SA, Romboli E, Hoang Van M, Nguyen NB, Nguyen V, Perez-Cruz PE, Bjorkhem-Bergman L. Cross-sectional study of gender differences in the perception of body image during cancer-induced weight loss: study protocol for the GRACE study (Global Research on Appearance in Cancer). BMJ Open. 2026 Jul 15;16(7):e PMID 42457417
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07195448 · GRACE