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Prolonged nightly fasting plus telehealth coaching showed feasibility in men with prostate cancer on androgen deprivation therapy.

Prolonged nightly fasting plus telehealth coaching showed feasibility in men with prostate cancer on…
Photo by Dmytro Vynohradov / Unsplash
Key Takeaway
Consider PNF+ as a feasible option for weight management in PCa patients, though efficacy requires larger trials.

This pilot feasibility randomized controlled trial enrolled 40 men receiving androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer at a medical center in Philadelphia. Participants were randomized to receive either a prolonged nightly fasting plus telehealth coaching intervention (PNF+) or healthy eating text messages. The study followed participants for 3 months to evaluate feasibility, acceptability, and secondary outcomes including BMI, body weight, and quality of life scores.

Adherence to health coaching was reported in 82% of participants (27 participants), while adherence to the PNF window was 69%. At the 3-month follow-up, the PNF+ group had a numerically lower BMI of 29.1 compared to 31.6 in the control group, and a numerically lower body weight of 195.2 lbs compared to 223.3 lbs. However, these differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Quality of life measures, including FACIT-F scores, increased in both groups from 43.6 to 45.2 in the PNF+ group and 42.5 to 45.5 in the control group. FACT-P scores increased in the PNF+ group from 121.3 to 125.5, whereas they decreased slightly in the control group from 121.1 to 119.8; no statistically significant differences were observed between groups for these outcomes.

No adverse events were reported associated with the intervention, and tolerability was highly acceptable. Discontinuations were not reported. Key limitations include the small sample size and the pilot nature of the study, which preclude definitive conclusions regarding efficacy. No statistically significant differences between groups were found, and partial feasibility was observed. These findings should be interpreted cautiously and require confirmation in larger, adequately powered trials.

Study Details

Study typeRct
Sample sizen = 40
EvidenceLevel 2
Follow-up3.0 mo
PublishedApr 2026
View Original Abstract ↓
: This study aimed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a 3-month health coaching intervention to promote PNF and healthy diet for men on ADT for PCa. : The study was carried out via a two-armed randomized controlled trial including 40 patients with PCa at a medical center in Philadelphia. During the 3-month period, the intervention group (PNF+) received health coaching utilizing an interactive text message system, and the control group received healthy eating text messages for the same duration. The outcome variables were feasibility and acceptability. : The PNF+ group ( = 27) had high adherence to health coaching (82%), picture response (85%) and moderate adherence to the PNF window (69%). The intervention was rated highly acceptable with no reported A/E associated with the intervention, and most participants planning to continue in some capacity. At 3 months, the PNF+ group had numerically lower BMI (29.1) and body weight (195.2 lbs) compared to the control group ( = 13; BMI 31.6, weight 223.3 lbs). Improvements in patient-reported outcomes were observed in both groups. FACIT-F scores (higher scores indicate less fatigue) increased in the PNF+ group (43.6 to 45.2) and in the control group (42.5 to 45.5). FACT-P scores (higher scores indicate better quality of life) increased in the PNF+ group (121.3 to 125.5) but decreased slightly in the control group (121.1 to 119.8). Between-group comparisons of change from baseline showed no statistically significant differences across outcomes (all > 0.05). : The intervention demonstrated partial feasibility and high acceptability. It was associated with numerically lower BMI and body weight and favorable changes in patient-reported outcomes, particularly quality of life; however, no statistically significant differences were observed between groups. These findings should be interpreted cautiously given the small sample size and require confirmation in larger, adequately powered trials.
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