ENICTO is a series of projects which will evaluate Exercise and Nutrition Interventions to Improve Cancer Treatment-Related Outcomes. This collaborative research program is funded by the National Cancer Institute and is comprised of a consortium Coordinating Center as well as four individual research projects with common questions and goals. ENICTO's vision is to improve the future of cancer care through exercise and nutrition.

Four university-based studies are currently conducting research projects with the aim of advancing our understanding of how exercise and nutrition interventions may affect both outcomes and quality of life during cancer treatment. Under the leadership of project scientists at NCI and the consortium Coordinating Center, ENICTO supports the development, testing, and assessment of several lifestyle interventions. With recruitment and performance sites spanning from the West to East Coast, the four trials are conducting their own research while measuring outcomes in an integrated manner. This allows for broad cross-consortium questions to be answered to ultimately improve the lives of those undergoing cancer treatment.

Despite advances in therapies available, cancer survivors are at risk of morbidity and mortality due to their disease and treatment. These can be exacerbated by lack of exercise, low physical fitness, obesity, and inadequate nutrition. Exercise and medical nutrition interventions may improve fitness and body composition and are generally well-tolerated by those receiving treatment. These interventions can also be tailored to the individual needs of cancer survivors and be delivered concurrently with different therapies. Most of the research in this field, however, focuses on cancer prevention or survivorship well past treatment, rather than the period shortly before or during treatment. Futhermore, few studies have principally targeted treatment-related outcomes, including quality of life. With funding from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the researchers involved in the ENICTO consortium seek to determine how exercise and/or medical nutrition interventions affect cancer treatment-related outcomes that occur in close proximity to cancer treatment.