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Calcitriol, Physical Activity, and Bone Health in Cancer Survivors

A Pilot Study of the Effects of High-Dose Oral Calcitriol and Physical Activity on Bone Health in Breast Cancer Survivors

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT00904033
Enrollment
41
Registered
2009-05-19
Start date
2008-12-01
Completion date
2018-01-01
Last updated
2019-04-23

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Bone and Bones, Breast Neoplasms

Brief summary

Both the calcitriol and exercise interventions are aimed at reducing fracture risk by maintaining proper bone density, thereby preventing osteoporotic/osteopenic conditions and increasing muscle mass. Both calcitriol and exercise are efficacious in maintaining proper bone health and muscle mass among the general population, but little research has been done on breast cancer patients and survivors. The combination of calcitriol and exercise, which function through different but similar mechanisms, could produce interactive effects in reducing fracture risk among breast cancer survivors. Hypothesis: A combination of calcitriol along with a structured home-based walking and progressive resistance exercise program will be efficacious in preventing bone resorption and in increasing bone formation among survivors of invasive breast cancer.

Detailed description

Primary Objective To collect data on the efficacy and feasibility of a supplementation of calcitriol with/without an accompanying structured home-based walking/progressive resistance exercise program for improving bone health among breast cancer survivors. Secondary Objectives To collect data on the efficacy and feasibility of a supplementation of calcitriol with/without an accompanying structured home-based walking/progressive resistance exercise program for increasing strength among breast cancer survivors. To collect data on the efficacy and feasibility of a supplementation of calcitriol with/without an accompanying structured home-based walking/progressive resistance exercise program for improving skeletal muscle mass among breast cancer survivors.

Interventions

DRUGCalcitriol

Calcitriol tablet taken once per week.

BEHAVIORALExercise

Exercise consisting of progressive walking and resistance band training

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTMultivitamin

Sponsors

University of Rochester
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
FACTORIAL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Must be female. * Women of child-bearing potential (i.e. women who are pre-menopausal or not surgically sterile) must use acceptable contraceptive methods (abstinence, intrauterine device (IUD), or double barrier device) and must have a negative serum or urine pregnancy test within 1 week prior to beginning treatment on this trial. Contraceptive use needs to be continued at least 1 month after the trial has ended. * Must provide informed consent. * Must be willing to discontinue use of calcium and/or vitamin D supplements. * Participants must have an ionized serum calcium level within normal limits (1.19-1.29mmol/L) and a total corrected serum calcium of \< 10.2mg/dl. * Must have a functional capacity rating of ≤ 2 on the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status when assessed at baseline. * Must have the approval of their treating physician (or physician's nurse practitioner or physician's assistant) to participate in sub-maximal physiological fitness testing and a low to moderate home-based walking and progressive resistance exercise program and to receive the 12-week supplementation of calcitriol 45 μg. Participants assigned to either of the calcitriol treatment arms will be instructed to stop taking calcium and/or vitamin D supplements. * Must be less than five years from the diagnosis of breast cancer and have received chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and/or hormonal therapy. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy, if received, must have been completed prior to study enrollment. Hormonal therapy may be ongoing.

Exclusion criteria

* Subjects with life-threatening conditions that would preclude them from breast cancer treatment including chronic cardiac failure, which is unstable despite medication use, uncontrolled hypertension, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, or unstable coronary artery disease. * Patients who had a myocardial infarction within the past year. * Patients with severe metabolic disorders, which includes phenylketonuria (PKU), homocystinuria, and Fabry's disease, that would preclude them from taking calcitriol. * Patients with impaired renal function (CRCL \< 60 mL/min) or who had kidney stones (calcium salt) within the past 5 years. * Patients with hypercalcemia (corrected serum Ca \> 10.2 mg/dl) or a history of hypercalcemia or vitamin D toxicity. * Patients currently taking calcium supplements or aluminum-based antacids must be willing to discontinue their use if they are to enroll in the study. * Patients currently taking vitamin D supplements must immediately discontinue their use if they are to enroll in the study. * Patients with a known sensitivity to calcitriol. * Women who are pregnant or lactating. * Previously verified diagnosed of osteoporosis. * Women on antiresorptive drugs (e.g. bisphosphonates) within the past year. * Patients not capable of participating in an exercise intervention due to severe knee arthrosis or ligament/cartilage injuries of the lower extremities. * Women currently using oral contraception. * Women with malabsorptive syndromes (i.e. cystic fibrosis, chronic pancreatitis) or taking medications that decrease the absorption of fat soluble vitamins (i.e. Orlistat, Questran). * Participants assigned to calcitriol who are routinely taking a multivitamin supplement may continue the supplement as long as the amount of vitamin D in the supplement is not in excess of the RDA (recommended daily allowance) of 400 IU or 10 μg. If they are not taking a multivitamin supplement, they will be asked to not start supplementation while on study.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Bone Formation (Calcitriol)Week 12Bone Formation using Serum BSAP (Calcitriol comparison) The Bone-Specific Alkaline Phosphatase (BSAP) assay provides a general index of bone formation and a specific index of total osteoblast activity. BSAP and osteocalcin are the most effective markers of bone formation and are particularly useful for monitoring bone formation therapies and antiresorptive therapies.
Bone Resorption (Exercise)Week 12Bone Resorption using Serum NTx (Exercise comparison) Serum NTx level is used to aid in predicting skeletal response (bone mineral density) to antiresorptive therapy and in monitoring bone resorption changes following initiation of antiresorptive therapy. Elevated levels of serum NTx indicate elevated bone resorption. Elevated bone resorption is the primary cause of agerelated bone loss and that low bone mass often results in osteopenia and is the major cause of osteoporosis. The measurement range is in nanoMoles (NM) Bone Collagen Equivalents (BCE).
Bone Resorption (Calcitriol)Week 12Bone Resorption using Serum NTx (Calcitriol comparison) Serum NTx level is used to aid in predicting skeletal response (bone mineral density) to antiresorptive therapy and in monitoring bone resorption changes following initiation of antiresorptive therapy. Elevated levels of serum NTx indicate elevated bone resorption. Elevated bone resorption is the primary cause of agerelated bone loss and that low bone mass often results in osteopenia and is the major cause of osteoporosis. The measurement range is in nanoMoles (nm) Bone Collagen Equivalents (BCE).
Bone Formation (Exercise)Week 12Bone Formation using Serum BSAP (Exercise comparison) The Bone-Specific Alkaline Phosphatase (BSAP) assay provides a general index of bone formation and a specific index of total osteoblast activity. BSAP and osteocalcin are the most effective markers of bone formation and are particularly useful for monitoring bone formation therapies and antiresorptive therapies.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Handgrip (kg) Strength - (Exercise)Week 12Handgrip (kg) Strength (Exercise comparison) Hand grip strength can be quantified by measuring the amount of static force that the hand can squeeze around a dynamometer. It is typically measured in kilograms or pounds and varies by sex and age. Normative data for females is AGE 35-39 --\> 20.3-34.1kg; AGE 40-44 --\> 18.9-32.7kg; AGE 45-49 --\> 18.6-32.4kg; AGE 50-54 --\> 18.1-31.9kg; AGE 55-59 --\> 17.7-31.5kg; AGE 60-64 --\> 17.2-31.0kg; AGE 65-69 --\> 15.4-27.2kg; AGE 70-99 --\> 14.7-24.5kg. Values less than the normal range are considered weak strength. Values greater than the normal range are considered strong strength.
Handgrip (kg) Strength - (Calcitriol)Week 12Handgrip (kg) Strength - (Calcitriol comparison) Hand grip strength can be quantified by measuring the amount of static force that the hand can squeeze around a dynamometer. It is typically measured in kilograms or pounds and varies by sex and age. Normative data for females is AGE 35-39 --\> 20.3-34.1kg; AGE 40-44 --\> 18.9-32.7kg; AGE 45-49 --\> 18.6-32.4kg; AGE 50-54 --\> 18.1-31.9kg; AGE 55-59 --\> 17.7-31.5kg; AGE 60-64 --\> 17.2-31.0kg; AGE 65-69 --\> 15.4-27.2kg; AGE 70-99 --\> 14.7-24.5kg. Values less than the normal range are considered weak strength. Values greater than the normal range are considered strong strength.
Body Mass Index (Exercise)Week 12Body Mass Index (BMI) - (Exercise Comparison) Measure Description: Body Mass Index (BMI) is a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. Values below 18.5 represent Underweight, 18.5 to 24.9 represent Normal or Healthy Weight, 25.0 to 29.9 represent Overweight and 30.0 and above represent Obese.
Body Mass Index (Calcitriol)Week 12Body Mass Index(BMI) - (Calcitriol comparison) Measure Description: Body Mass Index (BMI) is a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. Values below 18.5 represent Underweight, 18.5 to 24.9 represent Normal or Healthy Weight, 25.0 to 29.9 represent Overweight and 30.0 and above represent Obese.

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Multivitamin
Multivitamin used as control group. Multivitamin
10
Exericse
Exercise consisting of progressive walking and resistance band training. Exercise: Exercise consisting of progressive walking and resistance band training
10
Calcitriol
Calcitriol pill taken once per week. Calcitriol: Calcitriol tablet taken once per week.
10
Calcitriol and Exercise
Calcitriol pill taken once per week plus Exercise consisting of progressive walking and resistance band training. Calcitriol: Calcitriol tablet taken once per week. Exercise: Exercise consisting of progressive walking and resistance band training
11
Total41

Withdrawals & dropouts

PeriodReasonFG000FG001FG002FG003
Overall StudyPhysician Decision0010
Overall StudyUnable to obtain final blood draw0002
Overall StudyWithdrawal by Subject1100

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicExericseCalcitriolMultivitaminCalcitriol and ExerciseTotal
Age, Continuous55.8 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 6.7
52.0 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 6.8
50.9 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 8.2
55.1 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 8.7
53.5 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 7.8
Body Mass Index (BMI)32.4 kg/m^2
STANDARD_DEVIATION 7.5
28.4 kg/m^2
STANDARD_DEVIATION 5.5
31.3 kg/m^2
STANDARD_DEVIATION 6
28.1 kg/m^2
STANDARD_DEVIATION 3.6
29.9 kg/m^2
STANDARD_DEVIATION 5.9
Current Cardiovascular Exercise
No
4 Participants4 Participants5 Participants4 Participants17 Participants
Current Cardiovascular Exercise
Yes
6 Participants6 Participants5 Participants7 Participants24 Participants
Current Resistance Training
No
10 Participants8 Participants8 Participants8 Participants34 Participants
Current Resistance Training
Yes
0 Participants2 Participants2 Participants3 Participants7 Participants
Hormonal Therapy
Aromatase Inhibitor
5 Participants4 Participants3 Participants7 Participants19 Participants
Hormonal Therapy
Tamoxifen
4 Participants6 Participants7 Participants4 Participants21 Participants
Marital Status
Married
7 Participants9 Participants6 Participants11 Participants33 Participants
Marital Status
Single/Divorced/Widowed
3 Participants1 Participants4 Participants0 Participants8 Participants
Menopausal Status
Postmenopausal
9 Participants5 Participants4 Participants8 Participants26 Participants
Menopausal Status
Premenopausal
1 Participants5 Participants6 Participants3 Participants15 Participants
Prior Chemotherapy
No
3 Participants3 Participants3 Participants5 Participants14 Participants
Prior Chemotherapy
Yes
7 Participants7 Participants7 Participants6 Participants27 Participants
Prior Radiotherapy
No
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Prior Radiotherapy
Yes
10 Participants10 Participants10 Participants11 Participants41 Participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
Not White
0 Participants2 Participants1 Participants0 Participants3 Participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
White
10 Participants8 Participants9 Participants11 Participants38 Participants
Serum BMOI - Bone Metabolism Index0.34 Z-Score
STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.05
-0.12 Z-Score
STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.44
0.03 Z-Score
STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.25
-0.26 Z-Score
STANDARD_DEVIATION 0.96
0.01 Z-Score
STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.17
Serum BSAP - Bone Formation13.8 ng/ml
STANDARD_DEVIATION 7.2
12.2 ng/ml
STANDARD_DEVIATION 7.4
12.2 ng/ml
STANDARD_DEVIATION 7.1
12.0 ng/ml
STANDARD_DEVIATION 5.6
12.6 ng/ml
STANDARD_DEVIATION 6.7
Serum NTx - Bone Resorption11.6 nm BCE
STANDARD_DEVIATION 5.7
13.4 nm BCE
STANDARD_DEVIATION 8.1
12.2 nm BCE
STANDARD_DEVIATION 10
14.4 nm BCE
STANDARD_DEVIATION 9.5
12.9 nm BCE
STANDARD_DEVIATION 8.2
Sex: Female, Male
Female
10 Participants10 Participants10 Participants11 Participants41 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Stage of Cancer
0 / I
2 Participants5 Participants3 Participants7 Participants17 Participants
Stage of Cancer
II
6 Participants4 Participants4 Participants3 Participants17 Participants
Stage of Cancer
III
2 Participants1 Participants3 Participants1 Participants7 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
EG002
affected / at risk
EG003
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
0 / 100 / 100 / 100 / 11
other
Total, other adverse events
6 / 106 / 105 / 105 / 11
serious
Total, serious adverse events
0 / 100 / 100 / 100 / 11

Outcome results

Primary

Bone Formation (Calcitriol)

Bone Formation using Serum BSAP (Calcitriol comparison) The Bone-Specific Alkaline Phosphatase (BSAP) assay provides a general index of bone formation and a specific index of total osteoblast activity. BSAP and osteocalcin are the most effective markers of bone formation and are particularly useful for monitoring bone formation therapies and antiresorptive therapies.

Time frame: Week 12

Population: No Calcitriol group consists of Multivitamin arm and Exercise arm N=20; Calcitriol group consists of Calcitriol and Calcitriol+Exercise arms N=20\*\*~\*\* 1 subject has missing data for this outcome.

ArmMeasureValue (LEAST_SQUARES_MEAN)Dispersion
No ExerciseBone Formation (Calcitriol)12.0 ng/mlStandard Error 1.268
ExerciseBone Formation (Calcitriol)16.3 ng/mlStandard Error 0.802
p-value: <0.01ANCOVA
Primary

Bone Formation (Exercise)

Bone Formation using Serum BSAP (Exercise comparison) The Bone-Specific Alkaline Phosphatase (BSAP) assay provides a general index of bone formation and a specific index of total osteoblast activity. BSAP and osteocalcin are the most effective markers of bone formation and are particularly useful for monitoring bone formation therapies and antiresorptive therapies.

Time frame: Week 12

Population: No Exercise group consists of Multivitamin and Calcitriol arms N=20; Exercise group consists of Exercise and Calcitriol+Exercise arms N=20\*\*~\*\*1 subject has missing data for this outcome.

ArmMeasureValue (LEAST_SQUARES_MEAN)Dispersion
No ExerciseBone Formation (Exercise)13.8 ng/mlStandard Error 1.513
ExerciseBone Formation (Exercise)14.7 ng/mlStandard Error 0.957
p-value: 0.49ANCOVA
Primary

Bone Resorption (Calcitriol)

Bone Resorption using Serum NTx (Calcitriol comparison) Serum NTx level is used to aid in predicting skeletal response (bone mineral density) to antiresorptive therapy and in monitoring bone resorption changes following initiation of antiresorptive therapy. Elevated levels of serum NTx indicate elevated bone resorption. Elevated bone resorption is the primary cause of agerelated bone loss and that low bone mass often results in osteopenia and is the major cause of osteoporosis. The measurement range is in nanoMoles (nm) Bone Collagen Equivalents (BCE).

Time frame: Week 12

Population: No Calcitriol group consists of Multivitamin arm and Exercise arm N=20; Calcitriol group consists of Calcitriol and Calcitriol+Exercise arms N=19\*\*~\*\* 2 subjects have missing data for this outcome.

ArmMeasureValue (LEAST_SQUARES_MEAN)Dispersion
No ExerciseBone Resorption (Calcitriol)12.5 nm BCEStandard Error 1.785
ExerciseBone Resorption (Calcitriol)15.0 nm BCEStandard Error 1.113
p-value: 0.19ANCOVA
Primary

Bone Resorption (Exercise)

Bone Resorption using Serum NTx (Exercise comparison) Serum NTx level is used to aid in predicting skeletal response (bone mineral density) to antiresorptive therapy and in monitoring bone resorption changes following initiation of antiresorptive therapy. Elevated levels of serum NTx indicate elevated bone resorption. Elevated bone resorption is the primary cause of agerelated bone loss and that low bone mass often results in osteopenia and is the major cause of osteoporosis. The measurement range is in nanoMoles (NM) Bone Collagen Equivalents (BCE).

Time frame: Week 12

Population: No Exercise group consists of Multivitamin and Calcitriol arms N=20; Exercise group consists of Exercise and Calcitriol+Exercise arms N=19\*\*~\*\* 2 subjects have missing data for this outcome.

ArmMeasureValue (LEAST_SQUARES_MEAN)Dispersion
No ExerciseBone Resorption (Exercise)13.8 nm BCEStandard Error 1.656
ExerciseBone Resorption (Exercise)14.7 nm BCEStandard Error 1.033
p-value: 0.86ANCOVA
Secondary

Body Mass Index (Calcitriol)

Body Mass Index(BMI) - (Calcitriol comparison) Measure Description: Body Mass Index (BMI) is a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. Values below 18.5 represent Underweight, 18.5 to 24.9 represent Normal or Healthy Weight, 25.0 to 29.9 represent Overweight and 30.0 and above represent Obese.

Time frame: Week 12

Population: No Calcitriol group consists of Multivitamin arm and Exercise arm N=16\*; Calcitriol group consists of Calcitriol and Calcitriol+Exercise arms N=20\*\* \* 4 subjects have missing data for this outcome.~\*\* 1 subject has missing data for this outcome.

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
No ExerciseBody Mass Index (Calcitriol)30.1 kg/m^2Standard Error 0.284
ExerciseBody Mass Index (Calcitriol)30.1 kg/m^2Standard Error 0.161
p-value: 0.92t-test, 2 sided
Secondary

Body Mass Index (Exercise)

Body Mass Index (BMI) - (Exercise Comparison) Measure Description: Body Mass Index (BMI) is a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. Values below 18.5 represent Underweight, 18.5 to 24.9 represent Normal or Healthy Weight, 25.0 to 29.9 represent Overweight and 30.0 and above represent Obese.

Time frame: Week 12

Population: No Exercise group consists of Multivitamin and Calcitriol arms N=16\*; Exercise group consists of Exercise and Calcitriol+Exercise arms N=20\*\* \*4 subjects have missing data for this outcome.~\*\*1 subject has missing data for this outcome.

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
No ExerciseBody Mass Index (Exercise)30.0 kg/m^2Standard Error 0.312
ExerciseBody Mass Index (Exercise)30.2 kg/m^2Standard Error 0.185
p-value: 0.38t-test, 2 sided
Secondary

Handgrip (kg) Strength - (Calcitriol)

Handgrip (kg) Strength - (Calcitriol comparison) Hand grip strength can be quantified by measuring the amount of static force that the hand can squeeze around a dynamometer. It is typically measured in kilograms or pounds and varies by sex and age. Normative data for females is AGE 35-39 --\> 20.3-34.1kg; AGE 40-44 --\> 18.9-32.7kg; AGE 45-49 --\> 18.6-32.4kg; AGE 50-54 --\> 18.1-31.9kg; AGE 55-59 --\> 17.7-31.5kg; AGE 60-64 --\> 17.2-31.0kg; AGE 65-69 --\> 15.4-27.2kg; AGE 70-99 --\> 14.7-24.5kg. Values less than the normal range are considered weak strength. Values greater than the normal range are considered strong strength.

Time frame: Week 12

Population: No Calcitriol group consists of Multivitamin arm and Exercise arm N=14\*; Calcitriol group consists of Calcitriol and Calcitriol+Exercise arms N=17\*\* \* 6 subjects have missing data for this outcome.~\*\* 4 subjects have missing data for this outcome.

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
No ExerciseHandgrip (kg) Strength - (Calcitriol)27.4 kgStandard Error 1.441
ExerciseHandgrip (kg) Strength - (Calcitriol)27.1 kgStandard Error 0.804
p-value: 0.84t-test, 2 sided
Secondary

Handgrip (kg) Strength - (Exercise)

Handgrip (kg) Strength (Exercise comparison) Hand grip strength can be quantified by measuring the amount of static force that the hand can squeeze around a dynamometer. It is typically measured in kilograms or pounds and varies by sex and age. Normative data for females is AGE 35-39 --\> 20.3-34.1kg; AGE 40-44 --\> 18.9-32.7kg; AGE 45-49 --\> 18.6-32.4kg; AGE 50-54 --\> 18.1-31.9kg; AGE 55-59 --\> 17.7-31.5kg; AGE 60-64 --\> 17.2-31.0kg; AGE 65-69 --\> 15.4-27.2kg; AGE 70-99 --\> 14.7-24.5kg. Values less than the normal range are considered weak strength. Values greater than the normal range are considered strong strength.

Time frame: Week 12

Population: No Exercise group consists of Multivitamin and Calcitriol arms N=14\*; Exercise group consists of Exercise and Calcitriol+Exercise arms N=17\*\* \* 6 subjects have missing data for this outcome.~\*\* 4 subjects have missing data for this outcome.

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
No ExerciseHandgrip (kg) Strength - (Exercise)26.6 kgStandard Error 1.633
ExerciseHandgrip (kg) Strength - (Exercise)27.8 kgStandard Error 0.919
p-value: 0.16t-test, 2 sided

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026