Exercise in Metastatic Breast Cancer: EMBody

NCT ID: NCT05468034

Last Updated: 2026-02-05

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

100 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2023-04-26

Study Completion Date

2027-12-31

Brief Summary

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The purpose of this study is to study exercise in a novel population with indolent MBC (no progression on current therapy in prior 12 months and not receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy). The study team hypothesizes that delivering virtual, supervised, progressive intensity aerobic and resistance training exercise for 16 weeks in this population will significantly improve 1) cardiorespiratory fitness, functional status, and sarcopenia (low muscle mass), all established predictors of survival, and 2) patient- reported outcomes.

Detailed Description

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This is a randomized, two arm, single-center study designed to compare the effect of exercise versus usual care control on the clinical parameter of cardiorespiratory fitness, in patients with metastatic breast cancer with indolent disease biology over a 16-week period. This study will be enrolling up to 100 participants. Participants will be randomized 1:1 in blocks of 4 to the exercise intervention or usual care, stratified by frailty yes/no defined by baseline SPPB score ≤ 8 or \> 8.

Primary Objective To compare the effect of a 16-week multimodality, virtually delivered exercise intervention on cardiorespiratory fitness measured by a modified Bruce ramp protocol treadmill test to usual care, in patients with indolent metastatic breast cancer.

Secondary Objectives

1. To compare the effect of exercise versus usual care on objective physical function measured by the short physical performance battery (SBBP)
2. To compare the effect of exercise versus usual care on subjective physical functioning measured by PROMIS-29 questionnaire
3. To compare the effect of exercise versus usual care on body composition, measured by visceral adiposity, lean muscle mass, and muscle density on CT scans obtained as standard of care using SliceOmatic software
4. To compare the effect of exercise versus usual care on objective physical activity measured by accelerometer wear
5. To compare the effect of exercise versus usual care on patient reported outcomes, including fatigue (BFI) and health related quality of life (PROMIS-29)
6. To determine the fidelity of the exercise intervention, measured by changes in measures of constructs of habit and intention administered by questionnaire
7. To describe patient uptake and adherence with the intervention, measured by proportion of approached patients who consent to the study, and proportion of assigned training sessions attended by patients randomized to the exercise arm.

Conditions

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Breast Cancer Indolent Metastatic Breast Cancer

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Exercise Intervention

Eligible and consented participants randomized to the exercise arm (EX) will work with an exercise trainer 3x weekly for 16 weeks. Training sessions are 60 min. Schedules are determined by participant and trainer with oversight by the study team, ideally occurring at similar times each day in line with IBC theory. Each training session will be delivered virtually over a HIPAA compliant IU Health Zoom platform. The virtual exercise sessions include 3 parts: cardiovascular exercise, resistance training, and balance or stretching exercise. During sessions, patients will wear provided heart rate monitors with a training goal of moderate intensity, defined as 40-60% of heart rate reserve. Based on the participant's rate of perceived exertion (RPE), heart rate, and individual response during each session, trainers will follow an algorithm designed by the PI and collaborators to progress or regress intensity level. Participant will attend a class on creating and maintaining behavior changes.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Exercise Intervention

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligible and consented participants randomized to the exercise arm (EX) will work with an exercise trainer 3x weekly for 16 weeks. Training sessions are 60 min. Schedules are determined by participant and trainer with oversight by the study team, ideally occurring at similar times each day in line with IBC theory. Each training session will be delivered virtually over a HIPAA compliant IU Health Zoom platform. The virtual exercise sessions include 3 parts: cardiovascular exercise, resistance training, and balance or stretching exercise. During sessions, patients will wear provided heart rate monitors with a training goal of moderate intensity, defined as 40-60% of heart rate reserve. Based on the participant's rate of perceived exertion (RPE), heart rate, and individual response during each session, trainers will follow an algorithm designed by the PI and collaborators to progress or regress intensity level. Participant will attend a class on creating and maintaining behavior changes.

Usual Care

Participants randomized to usual care (UC) will receive care per their treatment team. UC participants are encouraged to exercise but will not be provided components of the intervention. Participants in the UC arm will be given usual care handouts at baseline from the American College of Sports Medicine.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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Exercise Intervention

Eligible and consented participants randomized to the exercise arm (EX) will work with an exercise trainer 3x weekly for 16 weeks. Training sessions are 60 min. Schedules are determined by participant and trainer with oversight by the study team, ideally occurring at similar times each day in line with IBC theory. Each training session will be delivered virtually over a HIPAA compliant IU Health Zoom platform. The virtual exercise sessions include 3 parts: cardiovascular exercise, resistance training, and balance or stretching exercise. During sessions, patients will wear provided heart rate monitors with a training goal of moderate intensity, defined as 40-60% of heart rate reserve. Based on the participant's rate of perceived exertion (RPE), heart rate, and individual response during each session, trainers will follow an algorithm designed by the PI and collaborators to progress or regress intensity level. Participant will attend a class on creating and maintaining behavior changes.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

1. Age ≥ 18 years
2. Diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer
3. No progression of disease in the 12 months prior to screening per the treating investigator

1. If participant has changed treatments in the prior 12 months for reasons other than progressive disease, they remain eligible
2. Participants on no treatment or "no evidence of disease" but still with a diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer are eligible
4. ECOG performance status of 0-2
5. Ability to walk on a treadmill without assistive device.
6. Informed consent and authorization of the release of health information must be obtained according to institutional guidelines
7. Currently not meeting physical activity guidelines (defined as less than 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per week measured by the IPAQ questionnaire administered during screening)
8. Participants should have a cellular device compatible with iOS 15 or Android operating system 7.

Exclusion Criteria

1. Receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy at any point in the prior 12 months.

1. Participants receiving endocrine therapy are eligible.
2. Participants receiving targeted therapy or antibody therapy are eligible (examples including trastuzumab, pertuzumab, TDM-1, trastuzumab deruxtecan, sacituzumab govetecan, immunotherapy, CDK4/6 inhibitors, olaparib, alpelisib, etc.)
2. Any condition precluding supervised exercise participation. A letter from a physician supporting participation can supersede this eligibility criteria.

* NYHA class III or IV congestive heart failure
* Uncontrolled angina
* Myocardial infarction in the prior 12 months
* Orthopedic surgery in the previous 3 months or plans for orthopedic surgery during the study period
* Chronic uncontrolled pulmonary conditions such as uncontrolled asthma (symptoms \> 2 days/week) or dyspnea requiring oxygen
* Symptomatic peripheral vascular disease
* Or any other comorbidity that would interfere with the ability to complete and comply with the protocol in the opinion of the investigator, including psychological illness
* History of fragility fracture
3. Active, untreated brain metastases
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Indiana University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Tarah J Ballinger, MD

Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Tarah Ballinger, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Indiana University

Locations

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Yale Cancer Center

New Haven, Connecticut, United States

Site Status COMPLETED

IU Health West

Avon, Indiana, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

IU Health Joe and Shelly Schwarz Cancer Center

Carmel, Indiana, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Indiana University Melvin & Bren Simon Cancer Center

Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Hospital

Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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United States

Central Contacts

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Niraj Shah

Role: CONTACT

(317) 278-3420

Tarah Ballinger, MD

Role: CONTACT

Facility Contacts

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Niraj Shah

Role: primary

(317) 278-3420

Niraj Shah

Role: primary

(317) 278-3420

Niraj Shah

Role: primary

(317) 278-3420

Niraj Shah

Role: primary

(317) 278-3420

Anna Tanasijevic

Role: primary

617.632.5584

References

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Cancilla MA, Nemati D, Halsey D, Shah N, Sherman M, Kelly N, Zhang P, Kassem N, Kaushal N, Shanahan K, Glenn LK, Ligibel JA, Ballinger TJ. Exercise as part of survivorship care in metastatic breast cancer: protocol for the randomized EMBody trial. BMC Cancer. 2024 Sep 12;24(1):1137. doi: 10.1186/s12885-024-12883-6.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 39267010 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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CTO-IUSCCC-0781

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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