CIPN in early stage breast cancer patients
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Feasibility of neurophysiological assessments and exercise prehabilitation in breast cancer patients receiving taxane-based chemotherapy: a pilot randomised controlled trial
IRAS ID
262840
Contact name
John Saxton
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Northumbria at Newcastle
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 22 days
Research summary
Chemotherapy uses anti-cancer drugs to destroy cancer cells and is a common treatment for many cancers. Taxanes are the most widely used chemotherapy drugs given to breast cancer patients. However, taxanes also have toxic side effects. One of the most severe side effects is damage to nerves in the peripheral nervous system; a neurological disorder known as peripheral neuropathy. Common symptoms of peripheral neuropathy are pain, numbness, and tingling in the hands and feet, which can lead to chemotherapy being prematurely discontinued. Unfortunately, treatment options to manage peripheral neuropathy are limited. Exercise has recently been proposed to reduce symptoms, but consistently exercising during chemotherapy is challenging for patients because of treatment-related side effects and fatigue. A more feasible approach may be to exercise on the day before each infusion.
This research includes two linked studies that aim to evaluate whether measuring peripheral nerve function at various timepoints throughout chemotherapy and performing aerobic exercise 24 hours before each infusion is feasible and acceptable to patients.
In study 1, we will recruit early stage breast cancer patients, who are scheduled to receive taxanes, from medical oncology outpatient clinics. We will ask consenting participants to make 4 or 5 separate visits to the Hospital at various timepoints throughout chemotherapy, depending on the type of chemotherapy they are prescribed. Each study visit will involve completing some questionnaires as well as tests of peripheral nerve function and functional ability. In phase 2, a new cohort of breast cancer patients undergoing the same chemotherapy regimens will be randomly allocated to an exercise group or a control group. The exercise group will be invited to perform a supervised bout of aerobic exercise (30 min of moderate-intensity on a cycle ergometer) one day before they receive chemotherapy. Our findings will lay the foundations for future large-scale research.
REC name
North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 1 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/NE/0341
Date of REC Opinion
9 Mar 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion