Prehabilitation for Ovarian Cancer Patients

NCT05364879 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: NSH Adv Ovarian Cancer Prehab
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 108
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Individuals with ovarian cancer have very poor survival rates. This is because the cancer is not usually detected until it has reached advanced stages. How long an individual survives also is determined by the cancer treatment they receive. Although there are best treatment practices to improve survival, some women have other conditions that limit treatment options. One such condition seen in as many as 50% of women with advanced ovarian cancer is frailty (an age-related decline in function and health). This is a major concern as doctors will often have to change how the cancer is treated based on the patient being frail. For example, patients living with frailty are less likely to have their full tumor removed during surgery. They are also more likely to have complications with surgery, stay in the hospital longer, and recover less well from surgery overall. Patients living with frailty also are more likely to experience delays in their chemotherapy starting, receive lower doses of chemotherapy and/or receive fewer cycles of chemotherapy. These changes in treatment may decrease how long a patient survives after diagnosis. Thus, research is needed to explore strategies to decrease frailty in patients who require treatment for advanced ovarian cancer. An option gaining more attention is physical exercise (e.g. walking, repeatedly rising from a chair). Exercise performed before surgery, which is called prehabilitation, can improve how well a patient recovers after surgery and increase how long they survive. Research has shown that prehabilitation is very beneficial for patients undergoing surgery for heart disease. However, it is not clear whether prehabilitation works for those with advanced ovarian cancer that are going to have surgery. Therefore, the investigators want to explore how a 4+ week exercise program performed while waiting for surgery for advanced ovarian cancer changes frailty and how a patient recovers after surgery. The investigators will specifically look whether the exercise program: 1) reduces how frail a patient is before surgery; 2) improves how well the patient recovers after surgery; and 3) affects the patient's chemotherapy treatment plan. This study will provide important information about the ability of prehabilitation exercise to improve surgical and treatment outcomes in women with advanced ovarian cancer. Overall, it is believed that exercise has the potential to improve the survival of advanced ovarian cancer patients.

Conditions

Prehabilitation; Exercise; Frailty; Ovarian Cancer; Surgical Complication; Treatment Outcomes; Enhanced Recovery After Surgery

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (12)

• Frailty Change (baseline to post exercise intervention)

  Frailty will be assessed using the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). The CFS is a The CFS is a 9-point scale (1 - very fit, through very severely frail to 9 - terminally ill) developed for healthcare professionals to summarize the overall level of fitness/frailty of an individual. The CFS covers domains of mobility, energy, physical activity, and function. The higher the score on the CFS the more frail/less fit an individual is.

  Change from baseline to end of 4+ week intervention (pre-surgery)

• Frailty Change (baseline to 1-month post surgery)

  Frailty will be assessed using the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). The CFS is a The CFS is a 9-point scale (1 - very fit, through very severely frail to 9 - terminally ill) developed for healthcare professionals to summarize the overall level of fitness/frailty of an individual. The CFS covers domains of mobility, energy, physical activity, and function. The higher the score on the CFS the more frail/less fit an individual is.

  Change from baseline to about 1-month post-surgery

• Frailty Change (baseline to 3-months post surgery)

  Frailty will be assessed using the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). The CFS is a The CFS is a 9-point scale (1 - very fit, through very severely frail to 9 - terminally ill) developed for healthcare professionals to summarize the overall level of fitness/frailty of an individual. The CFS covers domains of mobility, energy, physical activity, and function. The higher the score on the CFS the more frail/less fit an individual is.

  Change from baseline to about 3-month post-surgery

• Surgical Complexity Score (1-month post surgery)

  Surgical complexity will be assessed based on Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) guidelines. Complexity scores will be interpreted as "low" (3 or fewer points), "intermediate" (4-7 points), and "high" (8 or more points).

  Surgical complexity will be assessed about 1-month post-surgery.

• Post-Surgical Outcomes (1-month post surgery)

  Post-surgical outcomes will be assessed based on Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) guidelines. Specific outcomes will include post-op glucose control, analgesia usage, pain, daily weight, early mobilization, and post-operative complications.

  Post-surgical outcomes will be assessed about 1-month post-surgery.

• Surgical Complications (1-month post surgery)

  Surgical complications will be assessed based on Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) guidelines. Specific outcomes will include length of hospital stay and number of readmissions.

  Surgical complications will be assessed post-surgery about 1-month post-surgery.

• Chemotherapy completion rates (End of Cycle 1)

  Chemotherapy completion rates will be examined through documentation of total drug dose received, changes in dose, cycle delays, and/or discontinuation of treatment

  At the end of cycle 1 (each cycle is 3 weeks). Immediately after the procedure.

• Chemotherapy completion rates (End of Cycle 2)

  Chemotherapy completion rates will be examined through documentation of total drug dose received, changes in dose, cycle delays, and/or discontinuation of treatment

  At the end of cycle 2 (each cycle is 3 weeks). Immediately after the procedure.

• Chemotherapy completion rates (End of Cycle 3)

  Chemotherapy completion rates will be examined through documentation of total drug dose received, changes in dose, cycle delays, and/or discontinuation of treatment

  At the end of cycle 3 (each cycle is 3 weeks). Immediately after the procedure.

• Chemotherapy completion rates (End of Cycle 4)

  Chemotherapy completion rates will be examined through documentation of total drug dose received, changes in dose, cycle delays, and/or discontinuation of treatment

  At the end of cycle 4 (each cycle is 3 weeks). Immediately after the procedure.

• Chemotherapy completion rates (End of Cycle 5)

  Chemotherapy completion rates will be examined through documentation of total drug dose received, changes in dose, cycle delays, and/or discontinuation of treatment

  At the end of cycle 5 (each cycle is 3 weeks). Immediately after the procedure.

• Chemotherapy completion rates (End of Cycle 6)

  Chemotherapy completion rates will be examined through documentation of total drug dose received, changes in dose, cycle delays, and/or discontinuation of treatment

  At the end of cycle 6 (each cycle is 3 weeks). Immediately after the procedure.

Secondary Outcomes (15)

• Body Mass Index Change (baseline to post exercise intervention)

  Change in BMI from baseline to post 4+ week exercise intervention

• Body Mass Index Change (baseline to 1-month post surgery)

  Change in BMI from baseline to about 1-month post surgery.

• Body Mass Index Change (baseline to 3-months post surgery)

  Change in BMI from baseline to about 3-month post surgery.

• Aerobic Fitness Change (baseline to post exercise intervention)

  Change in aerobic fitness from baseline to post 4+ week intervention (pre-surgery)

• Aerobic Fitness Change (baseline to 1-month post surgery)

  Change in aerobic fitness from baseline to about 1-month post surgery

Other Outcomes (4)

• Study Feasibility - Participant Accrual

  Throughout study completion, about 2 years

• Study Feasibility - Participant Attrition

  Through study completion, about 2 years

• Study Feasibility - Participant Adherence

  Throughout study completion, about 2 years

Study Arms (1)

Intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

Circuit-based prehabilitation exercise intervention

Behavioral: Prehabilitation Exercise Intervention

Interventions

Prehabilitation Exercise Intervention BEHAVIORAL

The exercise intervention will consist of light-to-moderate intensity aerobic, resistance, and mobility exercises. These exercises will be performed in a circuit type manner. Participants will perform similar exercises that are modified to meet their individual abilities. Exercise intensity, modifications and substitutions will be determined for each participant based on their medical history, 6 minute walk test results, and baseline frailty scores. Exercise sessions will be performed 3x/wk beginning at 30 min and progressing to 60-min as tolerated for a minimum of four weeks but will continue up until the time of the participants surgery. A hybrid approach will be used for the exercise sessions whereby the participant must attend the first exercise session in person and subsequent sessions will be delivered virtually. Sessions will be overseen by the study Clinical Exercise Physiologist.

Intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: female
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• years or older
• Have a confirmed diagnosis of stage III or IV ovarian cancer
• Scheduled to receive cytoreductive surgery as part of their treatment plan
• Must have a minimum of 4-weeks between the time of study enrollment and scheduled surgery
• Be able to attend in-person and/or virtual exercise sessions
• Be fluent in English
• Have oncologist approval

You may not qualify if:

• Have already completed surgery
• Unstable cardiac or respiratory disease, injury or any other co-morbid disease that may make it unsafe for participants to exercise
• Significant cognitive impairment (e.g., do not have the capacity to consent, unable to follow exercise instructions)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Nova Scotia Health Authority: lead
• Dalhousie University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Nova Scotia Health

Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3L 4P1, Canada

RECRUITING

Related Links

• Laboratory website

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Motor Activity; Frailty; Ovarian Neoplasms

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Endocrine Gland Neoplasms; Neoplasms by Site; Neoplasms; Ovarian Diseases; Adnexal Diseases; Genital Diseases, Female; Female Urogenital Diseases; Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications; Urogenital Diseases; Genital Neoplasms, Female; Urogenital Neoplasms; Genital Diseases; Endocrine System Diseases; Gonadal Disorders

Study Officials

• Scott Grandy, PhD

  Nova Scotia Health

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Scott Grandy, PhD

CONTACT

902-494-1145; grandy@dal.ca

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 30, 2022
• First Posted: May 6, 2022
• Study Start: January 3, 2023
• Primary Completion: August 31, 2025
• Study Completion: August 31, 2025
• Last Updated: February 13, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

CA (1)