The Omentum Project is seeking participants in a study to examine if there is difference for women with and without an omentum (an organ in the abdominal cavity which is part of the immune and lymphatic system) when they consume salty foods. The project, lightheartedly referred to as “eating popcorn for science,” has the potential to provide key information to cancer survivors and improve their quality of life.
It is standard protocol to remove the omentum as part of the treatment for cancers within the peritoneum, such as ovarian cancer; survival rates are higher when the omentum is removed. However, there may be some long-term ramifications for women living without an omentum. The Omentum Project has anecdotal evidence that the removal of the omentum causes issues with processing salt and aims to conduct research into this effect.
Women who have had an omentectomy anecdotally report suffering from digestive issues post-removal of the omentum. One specific issue reported is an uncomfortable abdominal swelling after eating salty food. This research aims to investigate the abdominal swelling response of consuming a large amount of salt among women with an omentum and without an omentum, in order to see if there is a statistically significant difference between the two cohorts. This will be an important step to frame future research efforts.
The Nancy B. Clemente Cancer Fund is promoting the project, which is being overseen by Ellis Hospital.
The study involves two parts:
- An online survey to determine eligibility, “Part 1 – Eligibility Survey”
- An online survey for eligible participants that records the measurements/symptoms during the three-hour home experiment, “Part 2 – Processing Salt Survey”
You can help improve the quality of life for cancer survivors by participating in this study! Interested? Click HERE to take part one of the survey to determine your eligibility.
For more information on the effort, visit www.theomentumproject.org/.
