Rehabilitation for People With Advanced Cancer

Launched by UNIVERSITY HEALTH NETWORK, TORONTO · Jun 15, 2022

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is looking at how rehabilitation can help people with advanced breast cancer and advanced colorectal cancer. The focus is on whether a structured exercise and support program can improve the quality of life for patients who are dealing with these serious conditions. The study is taking place in Vancouver and Toronto, and it is currently recruiting participants aged 18 and older who are diagnosed with incurable or metastatic breast or colorectal cancer, are able to walk independently, and have a good level of overall health.

To be eligible for the trial, participants must be receiving their first or second line of treatment for cancer and have a life expectancy of at least six months. They should be physically able to engage in rehabilitation activities, so those with severe pain or significant cognitive issues may not qualify. Participants can expect to join either virtual or in-person rehabilitation sessions and will be randomly assigned to different approaches within the program. This study aims to find out how effective these rehabilitation strategies are for people living with advanced cancer, ultimately helping to improve patient care.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Age 18 years or older
• • Diagnosed with locally advanced incurable or metastatic breast or colorectal cancer
• • Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0-2
• • Fully independent with ambulation and transfers with or without ambulatory assistance
• • Palliative Performance score of \>70 (moderate predictive power estimating life expectancy \>6 months)
• • Receiving first or second line anti-cancer treatments in the metastatic / incurable setting (a relative proxy for expected survival \>6 months)
• • Medical clearance to participate from treating physician
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Wheelchair level community ambulation
• • Moderate or severe non-cancer pain (\>6 out of 10 on visual analog scale)
• • Moderate or severe cancer bone pain (\>Gr 2 bone pain (i.e., moderate pain limiting instrumental ALDs or worse) as measured on CTCAE (see below))
• • Severe or uncontrolled depressive symptoms (\>20 on PHQ-9)
• • Known neurological conditions influencing cognition and preventing safe or appropriate engagement with self-management and exercise recommendations (e.g., dementia, traumatic brain injury, or brain metastasis influencing cognition or causing moderate-to-severe motor-sensory-coordination). Best determined by the referring physician or nurse practitioner.
• • Unable to communicate sufficiently in English to complete intervention, questionnaires, and consent.
• • Unwillingness to be randomized, participate in a group intervention, or attend individual physical assessments.
• • Inability to operate videoconferencing if preference is virtual programming.