CANFit: home-based exercise programme for patients with cancer
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A phase II, Randomised Feasibility Basket Trial of a Personalised, Home-based Exercise Programme on Disease-free Survival among Early Stage High-risk Recurring Cancers in Yorkshire
IRAS ID
318391
Contact name
Cynthia Forbes
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Hull
Duration of Study in the UK
4 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
More people in Yorkshire are diagnosed with lung, breast, and bowel cancer than in many other parts of the UK, with some specific cancers at higher risk of returning after treatment. There is some evidence to suggest that regular exercise after cancer treatments can help increase the chances of surviving breast and bowel cancers by almost 40%. The evidence is not strong because it comes from observational studies and there is not enough among lung cancer to say if there is a survival benefit. Good quality, long-term clinical trials are needed to better understand if exercise should form part of cancer treatment.
This study will compare a personalised home-based exercise programme with support from exercise professionals against NHS standard care. People who have finished their primary treatments for early-stage, high-risk lung, breast or bowel cancers, and are at higher risk of their cancer returning, will take part for 2 years. Results from this study will inform the design of a larger scale trial and provide initial evidence of whether more active people have longer, healthier lives without cancer returning than those who are less active after cancer treatments.
The intervention groups exercise programme will be tailored to their baseline measurements (including cancer type) and what (if any) access they have to outside space or exercise equipment. The intervention will include weekly sessions with a qualified professional via video chat or telephone. The programme will include cardio, strength, and flexibility/balance training. Sessions will initially be 3 times per week, then progressively taper to none by 6 months. We will record feasibility outcomes of; site set-up, recruitment, intervention delivery and adherence, and adverse events. Clinical measures of disease-free survival will also be collected, alongside patient-reported quality of life, and physical function measures.
REC name
London - Brighton & Sussex Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/LO/0184
Date of REC Opinion
10 Mar 2023
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion