Exercise for Cancer

(Immuno-Ex Trial)

Overseen By Laurence Poirier, MSc

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Université de Sherbrooke

Must not be taking: Beta-blockers

Disqualifiers: Orthopedic, cardiac, metabolic, others

Stay on Your Current Meds You can continue your current medications while participating

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 4

Duration: 1 week

44 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores how aerobic exercise can help fight cancer by boosting the body's immune cells. Researchers aim to determine if these cells, activated through different exercise intensities, can better target cancer cells in individuals undergoing treatment for breast or colon cancer. Participants will engage in both moderate and high-intensity exercise sessions to identify which has a stronger effect. The trial seeks individuals diagnosed with non-metastatic breast or colon cancer who are already undergoing treatment and can perform moderate exercise without pain. As an unphased trial, this study offers a unique opportunity to contribute to understanding how exercise can enhance cancer treatment.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial protocol does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications, but it does exclude those using beta-blockers.

What prior data suggests that aerobic exercise is safe for cancer patients?

Research has shown that high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) is safe for cancer patients. A review of 35 studies involving 1,893 participants found that this exercise led to significant physical improvements without major side effects. Another study found that HIIE programs were safe and could enhance lung health and overall well-being in patients with advanced lung cancer.

While specific data on moderate-intensity continuous exercise (MOD) is less abundant, it is generally well-tolerated and often recommended for health benefits. Both HIIE and MOD are considered safe and may improve the quality of life for those undergoing cancer treatment. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about this trial because it explores how different types of exercise might benefit individuals undergoing cancer treatment. Unlike traditional cancer treatments that focus on drugs or surgery, this trial compares moderate-intensity continuous aerobic exercise to high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE). The unique aspect of HIIE is its alternating bursts of high-intensity activity followed by recovery periods, which could offer distinct benefits in terms of cardiovascular health and overall physical endurance. By collecting blood samples during these exercises, researchers hope to uncover how different exercise intensities impact the body's response to cancer treatment, potentially leading to improved supportive care strategies.

What evidence suggests that aerobic exercise might be an effective treatment for cancer?

Studies have shown that high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE), one of the exercise regimens in this trial, offers significant benefits for cancer patients. Research indicates that HIIE improves heart and lung fitness and enhances the quality of life for cancer survivors. A review of 35 studies found that HIIE led to better physical and social functioning. Additionally, blood tests after HIIE showed a 22% reduction in cancer cell growth. These findings suggest that HIIE can help the body fight cancer by improving fitness and possibly slowing the growth of cancer cells. Meanwhile, another group in this trial will participate in moderate-intensity continuous exercise (MOD) to compare the effects of different exercise intensities. ^{2 4 5 6 7}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Eléonor Riesco, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Sherbrooke, Faculty of Physical Activity Sciences, Department of Kinanthropology

Lee-Hwa Tai, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Sherbrooke, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Immunology and Cellular Biology

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for individuals aged 40-70 with curable breast or colorectal cancer. Participants will engage in two types of aerobic exercise to see if it helps their immune cells fight cancer better. They must be able to perform the exercises and follow the study's procedures, including wearing an accelerometer and completing a fatigue questionnaire.

Inclusion Criteria

I am fully active or restricted in physically strenuous activity but can do light work.

Ability to perform moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (MOD) or EPI type cycling according to the established prescription without experiencing pain in connection with the bicycle saddle

I am between 40 and 70 years old.

Exclusion Criteria

Non-controlled health condition

I have a health condition that makes it unsafe for me to do aerobic exercise.

I am taking beta-blockers.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Familiarization

Participants undergo two familiarization visits to validate the exercise prescription

1-2 weeks

2 visits (in-person)

Treatment

Participants complete two exercise sessions: one moderate-intensity continuous exercise session and one high-intensity interval exercise session. Blood samples are collected before, during, and after exercise.

1 week

2 visits (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in physical activity levels and cancer-related fatigue using an accelerometer and a questionnaire over three days.

3 days

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Aerobic Exercise

Trial Overview Researchers are testing whether moderate-intensity continuous exercise (MOD) or high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) can boost the body's immune response against cancer in patients with breast or colorectal cancer. The study involves blood tests before, after, and one hour post-exercise to measure changes in anticancer immune cells.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Condition HIIE Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Individuals undergoing cancer treatment will complete one session of high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) with a ratio high-intensity/active recovery of 1 min /2 min. During the condition blood samples will be collected.

Group II: Condition MOD Active Control 1 Intervention

Individuals undergoing cancer treatment will complete one moderate-intensity continuous exercise (MOD) session during which blood samples will be collected. MOD will consist of aerobic exercise that match external workload of HIIE.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Université de Sherbrooke

Lead Sponsor

Trials

317

Recruited

79,300+

Published Research Related to This Trial

A systematic review of 33 trials involving 3257 patients found that aerobic exercise during chemotherapy is safe and can improve or maintain fitness levels, with moderate intensity exercise (50-80% maximum heart rate) being particularly effective.

Exercise was associated with improved quality of life and physical functioning, as well as a quicker return to work, although it did not significantly affect chemotherapy completion rates or survival outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A systematic review of the safety and efficacy of aerobic exercise during cytotoxic chemotherapy treatment. Cave, J., Paschalis, A., Huang, CY., et al.[2021]

Aerobic exercise is an effective additive treatment for cancer patients, helping to alleviate physical limitations and improve quality of life during and after oncological treatment.

Research indicates that aerobic exercise is feasible even for patients with advanced cancer, enabling them to recover physical function and return to a more active lifestyle.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Aerobic endurance training for cancer patients]. Crevenna, R., Zielinski, C., Keilani, MY., et al.[2019]

A 6-week aerobic exercise program significantly improved physical performance in five cancer patients, increasing their maximum walking speed and distance, while also reducing fatigue levels.

The exercise regimen, which involved daily treadmill walking at a specific intensity, allowed all participants to resume normal daily activities without substantial limitations, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic intervention for cancer-related fatigue.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Aerobic exercise as therapy for cancer fatigue. Dimeo, F., Rumberger, BG., Keul, J.[2022]

In a study of 20 breast cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy, those who participated in moderate-to-high intensity aerobic training showed a significant improvement in cardiopulmonary function, with a 13.3% increase in VO2peak compared to a decrease in the control group.

The aerobic training was found to be safe, with only one adverse event reported during the training sessions, and no significant differences in treatment-related side effects between the groups, indicating that it can be a beneficial adjunct therapy during chemotherapy.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Safety and efficacy of aerobic training in operable breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy: a phase II randomized trial. Hornsby, WE., Douglas, PS., West, MJ., et al.[2022]

The ADVANCE study aims to evaluate how adverse events (AEs) are reported in exercise oncology trials, which is crucial for assessing the safety of exercise interventions for cancer patients.

By reviewing published trials and using a standardized checklist for reporting AEs, the study seeks to identify gaps in current practices and inform future research on improving the consistency and transparency of AE reporting in this field.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Adverse Events Reporting of Clinical Trials in Exercise Oncology Research (ADVANCE): Protocol for a Scoping Review. Luo, H., Schumacher, O., Galvão, DA., et al.[2022]

The Exercise Harms Reporting Method (ExHaRM) was developed to systematically monitor and report adverse outcomes related to exercise in cancer survivors, addressing a gap in understanding the potential harms of exercise alongside its benefits.

ExHaRM provides a structured protocol for assessing and reporting exercise-related adverse outcomes, which can help clinicians and patients make informed decisions about exercise interventions in cancer care.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Practical suggestions for harms reporting in exercise oncology: the Exercise Harms Reporting Method (ExHaRM). Spence, RR., Sandler, CX., Jones, TL., et al.[2023]

Exercise therapy significantly improves cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in patients with adult-onset cancer, with an average increase of 2.80 mL O2 × kg-1 × min-1 compared to no change in control groups, based on a review of 48 randomized controlled trials involving 3,632 patients.

The study found that exercise therapy is safe, with only 44 adverse events reported across 30 trials, and high adherence rates (88%) suggest that patients are likely to stick with the program.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Efficacy of Exercise Therapy on Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Patients With Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Scott, JM., Zabor, EC., Schwitzer, E., et al.[2022]

Aerobic exercise significantly improves shoulder joint range of motion (ROM) in breast cancer survivors, as shown by a meta-analysis of nine randomized controlled trials involving 421 patients.

However, the study found no significant improvement in upper limb muscle strength, indicating that while aerobic exercise benefits flexibility, it may not enhance strength in this population.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effectiveness of aerobic exercise on upper limb function following breast cancer treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Yang, Y., Gu, D., Qian, Y., et al.[2021]

In a study involving 577 participants undergoing cancer treatment, exercise was found to be safe, with 20% of adverse events (AEs) reported by coaches and 28% by participants, mostly being minor musculoskeletal issues.

High-intensity exercise was associated with a higher likelihood of AEs compared to low-to-moderate exercise, but both forms of exercise are recommended for patients if there are no medical contraindications, as serious complications like lymphedema and PICC issues were low and not significantly different across exercise intensities.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Is it safe to exercise during oncological treatment? A study of adverse events during endurance and resistance training - data from the Phys-Can study. Henriksson, A., Johansson, B., Radu, C., et al.[2021]

In a study of 35,110 exercise interventions for pediatric cancer patients and survivors, serious adverse events (AEs) were rare, with only six Grade 2-3 AEs reported, resulting in an incidence of 17 per 100,000 interventions, indicating that supervised exercise programs are generally safe.

While Grade 1 AEs, such as muscle soreness and circulatory problems, were more common (2,800 per 100,000 interventions), these were typically mild and likely not directly caused by the exercise, suggesting that exercise can be safely integrated into cancer care for children.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Adverse Events During Supervised Exercise Interventions in Pediatric Oncology-A Nationwide Survey. Gauß, G., Beller, R., Boos, J., et al.[2021]

Aerobic exercise therapy significantly improved quality of life (QoL) in women treated for breast cancer, with a notable mean difference of 9.8 units in the primary outcome measure compared to usual care after 8 weeks.

The benefits of aerobic exercise therapy extended to various aspects of well-being, including social/family and functional well-being, and were not observed in the exercise-placebo group, indicating that the improvements were specifically due to the aerobic exercise intervention.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Randomized trial of exercise therapy in women treated for breast cancer. Daley, AJ., Crank, H., Saxton, JM., et al.[2022]

A review by Cochrane researchers indicates that aerobic exercise is effective in reducing fatigue commonly experienced by cancer patients and those undergoing treatment.

This finding suggests that incorporating aerobic exercise into cancer care may improve the quality of life for patients dealing with fatigue.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Exercise can help to alleviate the fatigue associated with cancer. [2019]

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9804206/

Effectiveness of HIIT in patients with cancer or ... HIIT training seemed to be effective to improve cardiorespiratory fitness in cancer survivors. However, during active treatment, there were contrasting results.

2. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1440244023004218

Clinical updates on the effects of high intensity interval ... Comprehensive meta-analysis of 35 trials (n = 1893 participants) using HIIT showed significant improvements across several physical outcomes in the cancer ...

3. frontiersin.org frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2025.1594574/full

Effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) versus ... This study primarily found that HIIT improved cardiopulmonary health in cancer survivors compared to the MICT group. This finding is consistent ...

4. nature.com nature.com/articles/s41598-021-94476-y

Effects of high-intensity training on the quality of life ... Results showed HIT improved global quality of life, physical functioning, role functioning, social functioning, cognitive functioning, fatigue, pain, dyspnea, ...

5. ecu.edu.au ecu.edu.au/newsroom/articles/research/both-weights-and-hiit-offer-health-benefits-for-cancer-survivors

Both weights and HIIT offer health benefits for cancer ... "We found that blood taken after rest, following either resistance training or HIIT, reduced the growth of these cancer cells in vitro by 22% ...

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7892520/

High-intensity interval training in the prehabilitation of cancer ... Furthermore, HIIT was feasible and safe, showing low risk of adverse events and positive effects on health-related outcomes in prehabilitative settings.

7. ascopubs.org ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/JCO.2021.39.15_suppl.12054

High intensity interval training safety and efficacy in ... Conclusions: This study demonstrated the safety and potential benefit of a HIIT program on lung-specific and physical wellbeing in patients with advanced NSCLC ...