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Clinical Trial Comparing Standard Care Versus Prehabilitation in Patients Undergoing Cancer Surgery

A Single-centre Two-armed Randomised Controlled Trial Comparing Standard Care Alone Versus Exercise and Nutrition Prehabilitation in Elective Patients Undergoing Resectional HPB and Colorectal Cancer Surgery

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04880772
Acronym
SPECS
Enrollment
42
Registered
2021-05-11
Start date
2021-07-15
Completion date
2023-07-13
Last updated
2023-09-07

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

Conditions

Cancer of Colon, Cancer of Rectum, Liver Metastases

Keywords

prehabilitation, surgery, cardiopulmonary exercise testing, cytokines

Brief summary

To determine whether exercise and nutrition prehabilitation improves patient outcomes after cancer surgery

Detailed description

Preliminary qualitative and quantitative studies suggest that there are benefits (reduced length of stay, improved cardiorespiratory function, reduced postoperative complications and improved quality of life) when prehabilitation is used with the context of cancer care. In 2017 Macmillian Cancer Support developed a strategic 'Evidence and Insight' review on prehabilitation. The outcome of this was to incorporate prehabilitation into routine cancer care and to develop principles and guidance for prehabilitation. This study aims to support this vision and answer some of the questions on the patients who are most likely to benefit from prehabilitation and to quantify some of these benefits by investigating the molecular processes that influence clinical changes This study primarily seeks to assess the cardiovascular and biological impact of prehabilitation (exercise, nutrition) on patients undergoing hepatobiliary and colorectal cancer surgery. The investigators aim to assess whether there is an improvement in various cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) variables such as maximum oxygen consumption and anaerobic threshold. The investigators also aim to study the inflammatory cytokines associated with cancer and how these markers respond to exercise. These inflammatory markers are thought to play a role in influencing some clinical outcomes such as wound infection and recovery. The study will also assess secondary outcomes including hospital stay, post operative complications and quality of life. The investigators aim to better understand the biological relationship between anti-inflammatory cytokine levels and the previously mentioned outcomes by measuring and analysing these mediators and performing selected muscle biopsies.

Interventions

OTHERPrehabilitation

exercise & multivitamin (nutritional/dietary advice)

Sponsors

Lancaster University
CollaboratorOTHER
East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)

Masking description

CPET clinician/physiologist will be blinded

Intervention model description

1:1 randomisation to standard care or prehabilitation

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 85 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Aged 18-85 * Sex: male/female * Radiological/tissue cancer diagnosis * Curative cancer of the colon, rectum, colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) of 2 or more segments * elective surgery (planned a minimum of 3 weeks from the date of first clinic meeting) * Access to digital technology(mobile phone, tablet or laptop, home computer) to participate in supervised home exercise

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion * Palliative disease * Haematological malignancy * Pregnancy * Emergency surgery * Physically unable to undergo CPET * Part of any other trial with similar interventions unless previously agreed on with all CIs * synchronous disease (operation on HPB & colorectal cancers at the same operation) * No access to digital technology(smart phone, tablet, laptop or home computer)

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Anaerobic threshold (AT) measured in ml/kg/min and maximum oxygen consumption ( VO2 peak) measured in ml/kg/minchange in baseline AT & VO2 peak at 4 weeksCardiopulmonary exercise Test (CPET) variables
Inflammatory cytokineschange in baseline cytokines at 4 weeksIL6 IL10 in muscle and blood measured in pg/ml

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Quality of life measures (Illness Perception Questionnaire)baseline and within 24 weeks after surgeryThis questionnaire assesses perceptions on each of the five dimensions(Identity, Cause, Timeline, Consequences, Cure-Control) by asking patients for their own beliefs about their condition. High scores on the identity, consequences, timeline acute/ chronic and cyclical subscales represent strongly held beliefs about the number of symptoms attributed, the negative consequences, and the chronicity and cyclical nature of the illness. High scores on the identity and cure-control and coherence subscales represent positive beliefs about controllability and a personal understanding of the illness.
Clavien-Dindo complication ratesUp to 30 days from the day of operationGrades I-IV
Quality of life measure (Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale)baseline and within 24 weeks after surgeryAssessment of participants mental adjustment to a cancer diagnosis. Designed to measure Fighting Spirit (FS), Anxious Preoccupation (AP), Helpless-hopelessness (HH) and Fatalism. This is a 40-item measure of specific psychological (Coping) responses that cancer patients may display in the process of adjusting to the diagnosis and treatment of their disease. A higher score represents higher endorsement of the adjustment response.
Hand Grip Strength measured in kgbaseline, immediately after the intervention, within 24 weeks after surgeryMeasured by digital dynamometer
Length of hospital stay measured in days30 & 90-day mortalityDefined as duration of stay from date of operation to discharge

Countries

United Kingdom

Outcome results

None listed

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