Telehealth Exercise for Lymphoma Survivors

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: City of Hope Medical Center

Disqualifiers: Cardiovascular disease, Pregnancy, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

Duration: 8 weeks

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores whether a home-based, online-guided exercise program can boost heart health for lymphoma survivors. Participants will either start the exercise program immediately or continue their usual activities for eight weeks before joining the program. It suits lymphoma survivors who completed treatment 2 to 5 years ago and have risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure or diabetes. The goal is to determine if regular exercise can safely improve heart health and reduce the risk of future heart problems. As an unphased trial, this study offers lymphoma survivors a unique opportunity to contribute to research that could enhance heart health strategies for others in similar situations.

Do I need to stop my current medications to join the trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It's best to discuss this with the trial coordinators or your doctor.

What prior data suggests that this telehealth exercise intervention is safe for lymphoma survivors?

Research has shown that telehealth exercise programs are generally safe for cancer survivors, including those with lymphoma. Studies comparing telehealth exercise to traditional gym-based programs found similar safety outcomes for participants. Most individuals completed the telehealth sessions without major issues. Specifically, one study found that exercising through telehealth improved heart health without causing serious problems.

These studies suggest that telehealth exercise is well-tolerated, with participants usually not experiencing severe negative effects. This indicates that telehealth exercise can be a safe way to improve fitness at home. However, as with any new exercise routine, consulting a healthcare provider is important to ensure it suits individual health needs. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the telehealth exercise intervention for lymphoma survivors because it offers a unique approach to post-treatment care by leveraging technology to provide accessible and consistent exercise guidance. Unlike traditional in-person rehabilitation programs, this method allows participants to engage in personalized exercise routines from home, ensuring convenience and adherence. Additionally, this approach may help improve physical fitness and quality of life without the need for frequent hospital visits, which can be especially beneficial for those with mobility challenges or living in remote areas.

What evidence suggests that telehealth exercise is effective for improving cardiovascular health in lymphoma survivors?

Research shows that exercise programs delivered through telehealth can improve heart health in cancer survivors. One study found that both telehealth and in-person exercise programs increased participants' exercise capacity without causing fatigue. Another study demonstrated that telehealth exercise enhanced the coordination of heart and lung function during physical activity. A meta-analysis, which combines results from multiple studies, confirmed that telehealth exercise boosts fitness and activity levels. In this trial, participants in Group I will engage in a telehealth exercise intervention, potentially offering lymphoma survivors an effective way to improve heart health from home. Meanwhile, participants in Group II will maintain their current physical activity levels for 8 weeks before having the option to join the telehealth exercise intervention. ^{1 3 6 7 8}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Kyuwan Lee

Principal Investigator

City of Hope Medical Center

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for adults over 18 who've had Hodgkin or non-Hodgkin lymphoma, are 2-5 years post-cancer therapy with no current disease, and have a moderate to high risk of heart issues. They must be able to exercise and not already doing structured workouts more than an hour weekly.

Inclusion Criteria

I am at a high risk for heart problems.

I finished my cancer treatment 2-5 years ago and currently show no signs of the disease.

Physically able and willing to complete all study procedures

Exclusion Criteria

Participation in structured exercise (>60 minutes/week)

I haven't had a heart attack, stroke, or severe chest pain in the last 6 months.

I am pregnant or planning to become pregnant.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants participate in a telehealth exercise intervention for 30 minutes per day, 3 days a week for 8 weeks

8 weeks

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment

1 week

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Telehealth Exercise Intervention

Trial Overview

The study tests a telehealth exercise program aimed at improving cardiovascular health in lymphoma survivors. Participants will do physical exercises at home guided online by healthcare providers to see if it reduces their risk of heart disease.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Group I (telehealth exercise) Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Patients participate in telehealth exercise intervention for 30 minutes per day, 3 days a week for 8 weeks.

Group II: Group II (delayed control) Active Control 3 Interventions

Patients maintain current levels of physical activity for 8 weeks. Patients may then participate in telehealth exercise intervention for 8 weeks.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

City of Hope Medical Center

Lead Sponsor

Trials

614

Recruited

1,924,000+

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Collaborator

Trials

14,080

Recruited

41,180,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

Exercise interventions during and after chemotherapy for patients with hematological cancer are generally reported as safe and feasible, based on a systematic review of 12 studies, including six randomized controlled trials.

Despite the positive claims about safety and feasibility, many studies lack detailed information on how these conclusions were reached, highlighting the need for more comprehensive reporting in future research.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Safety and feasibility of exercise interventions in patients with hematological cancer undergoing chemotherapy: a systematic review. Großek, A., Großek, K., Bloch, W.[2023]

A systematic review of 58 publications identified 34 exercise programs for cancer survivors conducted in home or community settings, highlighting the diversity of interventions available.

The review revealed significant gaps in reporting on the implementation processes and contextual factors affecting these programs, indicating a need for more detailed studies to enhance future community-based exercise interventions for cancer survivors.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Community-Based Exercise Programs for Cancer Survivors: A Scoping Review of Program Characteristics Using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Neil-Sztramko, SE., Smith-Turchyn, J., Fong, A., et al.[2022]

A 12-week home-based cardio-oncology rehabilitation (CORE) program using telerehabilitation was found to be safe and feasible for 11 hematological cancer survivors, with 80% adherence to the exercise sessions.

Participants showed a significant improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness, with an increase of 2.6 ml/kg/min and peak workload, indicating that this intervention can effectively enhance fitness levels in cancer survivors post-treatment.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Home-based cardio-oncology rehabilitation using a telerehabilitation platform in hematological cancer survivors: a feasibility study. Filakova, K., Janikova, A., Felsoci, M., et al.[2023]

Exercise programs are safe for adult cancer patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) or bone marrow transplantation (BMT), with only 0.42% of participants reporting adverse events related to exercise.

These exercise interventions lead to significant improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, and functional mobility, suggesting they may also help prevent and manage complications associated with transplants.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of Exercise Programs on Physical Factors and Safety in Adult Patients with Cancer and Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Systematic Review. Morales-Rodriguez, E., Pérez-Bilbao, T., San Juan, AF., et al.[2022]

This pilot study will assess the feasibility of personalized virtual exercise training for 20 breast and prostate cancer survivors over 24 weeks, which includes 12 weeks of one-on-one training followed by 12 weeks of independent exercise using recorded sessions.

The study aims to evaluate the preliminary effects of this virtual program on various health metrics, such as body composition and exercise self-efficacy, potentially addressing barriers to physical activity in cancer survivors.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Streaming Web-Based Exercise at Home Study for Breast and Prostate Cancer Survivors: A Feasibility Study Protocol. Shirazipour, CH., Ruggieri-Bacani, RM., Lockshon, L., et al.[2023]

The study is evaluating a tailored exercise intervention for childhood cancer survivors with exercise intolerance, involving 160 participants randomized into intervention and control groups over a 20-week period.

The intervention includes a personalized exercise plan delivered via telehealth, aiming to improve physical activity levels and overall health without the need for travel, which may enhance adherence and confidence in exercising.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Design and methods of a randomized telehealth-based intervention to improve fitness in survivors of childhood cancer with exercise intolerance. Maharaj, A., Jefferies, JL., Mulrooney, DA., et al.[2023]

Citations

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pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

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Effects of home-based exercise with telehealth guidance in ...

This randomized controlled trial compares a 12-week guided home exercise telehealth intervention with a center-based exercise intervention.

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A Secondary Data Analysis - PMC - PubMed Central

This study compared the effectiveness of a personalized 12-week exercise program delivered in-person versus via telehealth among cancer ...

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Telehealth-guided versus center-based exercise cardiac ...

Both the telehealth group (n = 15) and the center-based group (n = 15) demonstrated significant improvements in exercise capacity, measured by ...

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nature.com

nature.com/articles/s41598-024-83846-x

Telemedicine-based exercise intervention in cancer survivors

The primary outcome was cardiopulmonary fitness measured by VO2peak; secondary outcomes included quality of life (QoL), fatigue, and physical ...

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bmccancer.biomedcentral.com

bmccancer.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12885-024-12348-w

Effect of exercise-based cancer rehabilitation via telehealth

This meta-analysis showed that telehealth exercise cancer rehabilitation could significantly increase cardiorespiratory fitness and physical activity levels ...

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pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11100177/

Effect of exercise-based cancer rehabilitation via telehealth

Meta-analysis indicated that telehealth exercise-based cancer rehabilitation significantly improved cardiorespiratory fitness (SMD = 0.34, 95% ...

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cancer.jmir.org

cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e56718

Preliminary Effectiveness of a Telehealth-Delivered Exercise ...

Results: Older adults with cancer who chose to participate in the telehealth exercise program (N=68) were 71.8 (SD 5.3) years of age on average ...

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mdpi.com

mdpi.com/2072-6694/17/15/2432

A Comparison of In-Person and Telehealth ...

This study compared the effectiveness of a personalized 12-week exercise program delivered in-person versus via telehealth among cancer survivors ...