Sustainable Implementation of the EXCEL Exercise Oncology Program Across Canada

NCT ID: NCT06960291

Last Updated: 2025-10-07

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 740 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-03-11
• Study Completion Date: 2026-11-30

Brief Summary

EXCEL will provide online and, where feasible, in-person exercise programs to individuals living with and beyond cancer (ILWBC). Research has shown that targeted programs that include tailored exercise prescriptions are more successful in helping individuals with chronic disease to incorporate physical activity and exercise into their daily routines. While ILWBC are advised by healthcare professionals (HCPs) to engage in exercise, there is a lack of cancer-specific exercise programs and cancer-trained exercise specialists in Canada, outside of the research setting. Considering the negative impact cancer and its treatments have on fitness and physical activity levels, community-based efforts towards improving access, uptake and maintenance of exercise programming are needed.

This study will evaluate the benefits of a community-based or online EXCEL exercise program for people living with and beyond cancer across Canada, using a streamlined intake process compared to the original EXCEL Study (HREBA.CC-20-0098, NCT04478851). This 8 to 12-week program (intervention) will be delivered in-person or over virtual platform. It includes twice weekly supervised exercise classes.

Detailed Description

Over the past 4.5 years, the EXCEL Study (HREBA.CC-20-0098, NCT04478851) has been implemented across Canada and has recruited over 1500 individuals living with and beyond cancer. This updated study will streamline the program to essential baseline screening and testing (for safe and effective program delivery), simplify outcome assessments (for participants to see changes and for program evaluation), and increase the reach to include more urban centres to encourage more healthcare provider (HCP) buy-in with a simplified referral process (i.e. no patient screening required from HCPs to determine eligibility, based on location). This updated program is based off of the Alberta Cancer Exercise (ACE) Program (HREBA.CC-24-0252). Thus, we are modifying the original EXCEL ethics to will reduce the participant burden with less patient-reported-outcomes and fewer follow-ups, which will allow more focus on program implementation, evaluation, and sustainability. Continued effort and training to establish the clinic-to-community model will be enhanced with stronger relationships and referrals from the cancer care system and the HCPs, which will continue to work towards a 'patient-centered care approach'.

Conditions

Cancer; Prostate Cancers; Breast Cancers; Colon Cancer; Lung Cancers

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NA
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Primary Study Purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Intervention

All participants will be involved in group exercise classes, twice a week for 8-12 weeks.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Group Exercise Classes

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants will take part in a combination of aerobic, resistance, balance, and flexibility exercises delivered in a circuit-type class setting, twice weekly for a 8-12-week period (duration of intervention depends on scheduling logistics for the coordinating hubs and their spokes sites). The exercise sessions will be conducted in groups with a ratio of up to 15 participants per instructor. The program follows exercise progression principles (i.e., frequency, intensity, time, type, overload and progression) over the 8-12-weeks, with tailoring of any exercise to meet individual participant needs as required, in order to promote fitness and wellness benefits.

Interventions

Group Exercise Classes

Participants will take part in a combination of aerobic, resistance, balance, and flexibility exercises delivered in a circuit-type class setting, twice weekly for a 8-12-week period (duration of intervention depends on scheduling logistics for the coordinating hubs and their spokes sites). The exercise sessions will be conducted in groups with a ratio of up to 15 participants per instructor. The program follows exercise progression principles (i.e., frequency, intensity, time, type, overload and progression) over the 8-12-weeks, with tailoring of any exercise to meet individual participant needs as required, in order to promote fitness and wellness benefits.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• have or had a diagnosis of cancer;
• be 18 years or older;
• be able to participate in low-intensity levels of activity, at minimum;
• be pretreatment, or receiving active cancer treatment (i.e., surgery, systemic therapy and radiation therapy), have received cancer treatment within the past 3 years, or if beyond 3 years since treatment completion, have a referral from their healthcare team indicating they have side effects from cancer treatment or the cancer itself, that could be improved or managed with exercise;
• be able to provide informed written consent in English or French

Exclusion Criteria

• does not or did not have a cancer diagnosis
• is under the age of 18
• is unable to participate in mild exercise, at minimum
• is not pretreatment, or receiving active cancer treatment (i.e., surgery, systemic therapy and radiation therapy), has not received cancer treatment within the past 3 years, or if beyond 3 years since treatment completion, doesn't have side effects from cancer treatment or the cancer itself, that could be improved or managed with exercise
• unable to read/write in English
• for online programs, does not have internet or computer access

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

Sponsors

University of Alberta

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Dalhousie University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Nova Scotia Health Authority

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

University of Toronto

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM)

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

University of British Columbia

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Memorial University of Newfoundland

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

University of Prince Edward Island

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Alberta Health services

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

University of Calgary

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Nicole Culos-Reed, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Calgary

Locations

University of Calgary

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Site Status: RECRUITING

University of British Columbia

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Site Status: RECRUITING

Nova Scotia Health Authority

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Site Status: RECRUITING

University of Toronto

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Site Status: RECRUITING

Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

Canada

Central Contacts

Julianna Dreger, PhD

Role: CONTACT

jdreger@ucalgary.ca

(403) 210-8482

Georgia Kaluznick

Role: CONTACT

wellnesslab@ucalgary.ca

403-210-8482

Facility Contacts

Julianna Dreger

Role: primary

jdreger@ucalgary.ca

403-210-8482

Carole Yin

Role: primary

exercise.research@ubc.ca

604-827-1914

Tom Christensen

Role: primary

excancer@nshealth.ca

902-473-2035

Daniel Sibley

Role: primary

excel.ontario@utoronto.ca

403-210-8482

Alexia Piché

Role: primary

alexia.piche.chum@ssss.gouv.qc.ca

5148908000

Other Identifiers

HREBA.CC-25-0029

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id