Physical Activity for Breast and Prostate Cancer Survivors

Overseen By Amy A Kirkham, PhD

Age: Any Age

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Toronto

Must be taking: Aromatase inhibitors, Androgen deprivation

Must not be taking: Diabetes drugs

Disqualifiers: Cardiovascular, Diabetes, Renal, others

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to determine how different physical activity strategies can help control blood sugar levels in breast and prostate cancer survivors currently undergoing hormone therapies. It compares the effects of short, frequent activity bouts, such as walking after meals or spreading small activity "snacks" throughout the day, with more traditional exercise routines. The trial is open to breast cancer survivors using aromatase inhibitors and prostate cancer survivors on androgen deprivation therapy who have been sedentary (engaging in less than 30 minutes of exercise per week) and have a higher body weight (BMI of 25 or more). As an unphased trial, this study offers participants the chance to explore innovative exercise strategies that could enhance their health and well-being.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial does not specify if you need to stop taking your current medications, but it does require that participants are already using hormone therapies like aromatase inhibitors or androgen deprivation therapy. If you are using diabetes medications, you cannot participate in this trial.

What prior data suggests that these physical activity strategies are safe for cancer survivors?

Research has shown that physical activity is generally safe for cancer survivors. For the spread-out physical activity plan, studies have found that exercise is usually well-tolerated by breast and prostate cancer survivors, with side effects being rare and most individuals able to participate without issues.

Evidence suggests that short activity breaks, such as walking, can enhance fitness and strength in cancer survivors without causing harm. It's an easy and safe way to stay active.

Regarding muscle strengthening, studies confirm these exercises are safe. They do not worsen conditions like lymphedema (swelling from fluid buildup) in breast cancer survivors and can even improve muscle strength.

Overall, these activities are safe and beneficial for cancer survivors, with few reports of negative effects. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about these physical activity strategies for breast and prostate cancer survivors because they explore diverse ways to incorporate movement into daily life, which could enhance recovery and quality of life. Unlike traditional exercise routines that focus on longer, continuous sessions, these strategies include innovative approaches like "Physical Activity Snacks," which involve short, frequent bursts of activity, and "Dispersed Physical Activity," which spreads movement throughout the day. Additionally, the "Muscle Strengthening" routine offers targeted exercises to improve muscle health through convenient video-guided sessions. By varying the timing and type of physical activity, these methods may offer more flexibility and better adherence, potentially leading to improved health outcomes for cancer survivors.

What evidence suggests that these physical activity strategies could be effective for cancer survivors?

Research has shown that exercise benefits cancer survivors in significant ways. For individuals with breast and prostate cancer, strong evidence indicates that being active after diagnosis can reduce the risk of death, cancer recurrence, and other health issues. In this trial, participants will follow different physical activity strategies. One group will engage in short bursts of activity throughout the day, known as "PA snacks," which might lower blood sugar levels as effectively as traditional 30-minute workouts. Another group will focus on strength training, which can enhance fitness, improve quality of life, and reduce cancer-related fatigue. These alternative exercise methods may be easier and more appealing for cancer survivors, offering similar benefits with greater flexibility. ^{1 3 6 7 8}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for sedentary breast and prostate cancer survivors who are on hormone therapies. It's designed to test if short bursts of physical activity can help manage blood sugar better than no exercise or standard 30-minute workouts. Participants should be willing to try different exercise routines.

Inclusion Criteria

I am a postmenopausal woman with stage I-III breast cancer and am currently on aromatase inhibitors.

Body mass index equal to or greater than 25 kg/m^2

Self-report consuming three main meals daily

Exclusion Criteria

I am taking medication for diabetes or am currently losing weight.

Do not have a smartphone compatible with the applications required to collect data

Unable or unwilling to receive medical clearance by a physician after being screened for major signs or symptoms of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, or renal disease and safety to initiate exercise

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Participants engage in various physical activity strategies including dispersed post-meal PA, PA snacks, standard walking, and resistance training to assess glycemic effects.

1 day per intervention

Multiple single-day interventions

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after intervention days

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Alternative Physical Activity Strategies

Trial Overview The study compares the effects of 'Physical Activity Snacks', dispersed post-meal activities, and muscle strengthening exercises against a no-exercise control group and standard fasting or post-meal workouts on blood sugar levels in cancer survivors.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Standard Physical Activity - Post-Meal Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants will perform 30 minutes of walking at a self-selected pace 30 minutes after the start of the first meal in the morning.

Group II: Standard Physical Activity - Fasted Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants will perform 30 minutes of walking at a self-selected pace 15 minutes prior to consumption of first meal in the morning (including cream/sugar/milk in coffee or tea).

Group III: Physical Activity Snacks Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants will perform 2 minutes of walking or marching on the spot at a self-selected pace every 30 minutes throughout the day for 7.5 waking hours.

Group IV: Muscle Strengthening Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants will perform 30 minutes of muscle strengthening exercises targeting the major muscle groups of the whole body performed by following along with a video, to start 30 minutes after the start of the first meal in the morning.

Group V: Dispersed Physical Activity Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants will perform 10 minutes of walking at a self-selected pace 30 minutes after the start of each main meal throughout the day (i.e., three bouts total).

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Toronto

Lead Sponsor

Trials

739

Recruited

1,125,000+

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9782413/

Impact of physical exercise programs in breast cancer ... The authors concluded that all types of PE were effective in fostering HRQoL of BC survivors, though combined training was associated with a ...

2. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1040842824003457

Grading the evidence for physical activity and any outcome ... In breast cancer, there was strong or highly suggestive evidence that post-diagnosis PA is associated with lower all-cause mortality, recurrence, cancer-related ...

3. mhealth.jmir.org mhealth.jmir.org/2019/1/e10918/

Breast, Prostate, and Colorectal Cancer Survivors ... There is now strong evidence that physical activity (PA) can improve a range of important cancer outcomes for breast, prostate, and colorectal ...

4. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT06633380

Alternative Physical Activity Strategies for Breast and ... Dispersed PA and PA snacks will result in greater reductions in 24-hour glucose and postprandial glucose compared to the no-PA baseline and similar reductions ...

5. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8345041/

The PABLO Randomized Controlled Trial - PMC Results: We recruited 137 survivors (participation rate 11%). We did not observe any significant between-group differences in MVPA or secondary outcomes.

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8576825/

Exercise Guidelines for Cancer Survivors - PubMed Central Drawing on studies mainly in breast and prostate cancer survivors, the key findings from this review were that exercise training was generally safe and well ...

7. progressreport.cancer.gov progressreport.cancer.gov/after/physical_activity

Cancer Survivors and Physical Activity In 2022, 36.7% of cancer survivors aged 18 years and older reported no physical activity in their leisure time.

8. acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.3322/caac.21719

American Cancer Society nutrition and physical activity ... Most studies support that exercise is generally safe for individuals undergoing cancer treatment. However, because most of these studies are ...