Exercise and Pain in AYACS

NCT ID: NCT05562570

Last Updated: 2025-05-14

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 20 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2022-10-10
• Study Completion Date: 2025-05-01

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that integration of exercise intervention into standard post-cancer directed treatment care will improve patient reported pain, decrease the need for medications to manage chronic pain and improve functional and psychosocial outcomes in survivors of cancers in adolescents and young adults (AYA). Our central hypothesis is that integration of exercise interventions into standard post-cancer directed treatment care will be acceptable and feasible while improving patients' pain, decreasing the cumulative dose of pain medication and improving patients' functional and psychosocial outcomes as compared to patients who only receive standard post-cancer directed treatment care.

Conditions

AYA Cancer Survivors

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Physical activity intervention coupled with standard post-cancer directed treatment care group

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Physical activity intervention coupled with standard post-cancer directed treatment care

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

AYACS will participate in a 16-week physical activity program. AYACS will be instructed to start with a session duration of \<15-min, three days per week at low intensity (e.g., activities expending \>1.5 to 3 METs or intensity \<5 on a scale of 0 to 10). Any type of physical activity will be acceptable. The program will be individualized, and activity increased according to patients' health status, results from the physical function assessment, and most recent week's achieved physical activities. The program will include support calls and texts from research staff (exercise physiologist). The program will be modified and adapted during support calls or texts, including frequency, intensity, time and type to maximize AYACS' success. AYACS will receive a Fitbit at the beginning of the intervention.

Standard post-cancer directed treatment care control group

Group Type: OTHER

Standard post-cancer directed treatment care control

Intervention Type: OTHER

AYACS in the control group will not participate in a 16-week physical activity program and will not receive support calls or texts. Physical activity advice according to the Exercise Guidelines for Cancer Survivors will be offered to AYACS following completion of 16-week follow-up. Moreover, AYACS will receive a Fitbit following completion of 16-week follow-up

Interventions

Physical activity intervention coupled with standard post-cancer directed treatment care

AYACS will participate in a 16-week physical activity program. AYACS will be instructed to start with a session duration of \<15-min, three days per week at low intensity (e.g., activities expending \>1.5 to 3 METs or intensity \<5 on a scale of 0 to 10). Any type of physical activity will be acceptable. The program will be individualized, and activity increased according to patients' health status, results from the physical function assessment, and most recent week's achieved physical activities. The program will include support calls and texts from research staff (exercise physiologist). The program will be modified and adapted during support calls or texts, including frequency, intensity, time and type to maximize AYACS' success. AYACS will receive a Fitbit at the beginning of the intervention.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Standard post-cancer directed treatment care control

AYACS in the control group will not participate in a 16-week physical activity program and will not receive support calls or texts. Physical activity advice according to the Exercise Guidelines for Cancer Survivors will be offered to AYACS following completion of 16-week follow-up. Moreover, AYACS will receive a Fitbit following completion of 16-week follow-up

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

1. Male and female AYA cancer survivors diagnosed with any type of cancer between the ages of 15 and 39 years old

2. AYA cancer survivors who have completed all standard/planned cancer treatment and are stable at the time of recruitment

3. AYA cancer survivors are < 1-year post cancer therapy

4. AYA cancer survivors who have chronic pain (pain will be self-reported by the participant, will have to be ≥1 on a scale of 10 and lasting for 3 months or longer)

5. AYA cancer survivors who are age ≥18 years old at the time of enrollment

6. AYA cancer survivors who are and who are not non-ambulatory/wheelchair bound.

7. AYA cancer survivors must be able to speak, read and understand the English language

8. AYA cancer survivors must be able to provide and understand informed consent

9. AYA cancer survivors must be able to attend three visits (baseline, 8 and 16-week follow-up) at the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

10. AYA cancer survivors must have access to a computer with wifi, smartphone with wifi or tablet with wifi

Note: The agreement of the attending oncologist will be required for the participation of AYA cancer survivors eligible for this study.

Exclusion Criteria

1. AYA cancer survivors who have not completed all standard/planned cancer treatment and/or not in complete remission at the time of recruitment

2. AYA cancer survivors who are > 1-year post cancer therapy

3. AYA cancer survivors who are < 18 years old at the time of enrollment

4. cancer survivors who have evidence of an absolute contraindication to complete any of the physical assessments in their medical record. This exclusion criterion is at the oncologist's discretion when research staff will contact the medical oncologist via secure email or secure message through the electronic medical record for approval to approach their patients for the study and for medical clearance. The oncologists can update this information at any time during the study if there is evidence of an absolute contraindication to complete any of the physical assessments.

5. AYA cancer survivors who have history of refractory or recurrent cancer

6. AYA cancer survivors who are unable to speak, read, and understand the English language

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Smita Dandekar

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Smita Dandekar, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Penn State College of Medicine

Locations

Penn State Health Children's Hospital

Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States

Countries

United States

Other Identifiers

STUDY00020904

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id