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SURfit - A Physical Activity Intervention for Childhood Cancer Survivors

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Late-effects of Childhood Cancer
Interventions
Behavioral: partially supervised exercise intervention
Registration Number
NCT02730767
Lead Sponsor
University of Zurich
Brief Summary

Exercise can play a major role to mitigate or even prevent late effects in cancer survivors, such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, osteoporosis, fatigue, depression, reduced quality of life, mental health and physical performance.

The objective of this study is to assess the effect of an exercise program of 1 year on cardiovascular health, obesity and diabetes, osteoporosis, physical fitness, mental health and quality of life in childhood cancer survivors. The investigators will recruit childhood cancer survivors aged 16 years and above from three Swiss paediatric oncology clinics and randomize them into an intervention and a control group. The intervention group will be asked to increase physical activity for 1 year by at least 2.5 hours of intense physical activity weekly. Regular feedback will be given via a step counter, an online activity diary, and by the centre staff. The control group participants will keep their activity level constant. All participants will be seen after 3, 6 and 12 months to assess health and quality of life parameters over one year. After 1 year, the control group is offered to receive the same intervention to profit as well from an active lifestyle.

If the program shows to be effective, a complete package will become available to interested centres treating paediatric cancer patients in Switzerland to promote exercise in all survivors. The program will allow clinicians without previous experience in exercise counselling to improve the care of their patients.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
151
Inclusion Criteria
  • Registered in the Swiss Childhood Cancer Registry.
  • Age at cancer diagnosis <16 years.
  • Diagnosed with a cancer classifiable within the International Classification of Childhood Cancer (ICCC-3) or diagnosed with a Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis.
  • Diagnosed and/or treated at the University Children's Hospital Basel, Cantonal Hospital of Aarau and/or Cantonal Hospital of Lucerne.
  • Survived ≥5 years since primary cancer diagnosis or any subsequent cancer event (relapse or further cancer diagnoses)
  • Age at the time of the study ≥16 years
  • Informed Consent as documented by signature
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Exclusion Criteria
  • Participation in another clinical trial <4 weeks prior to baseline assessment (eventually later re-enrolment)
  • Contradiction to one of the inclusion criteria mentioned above
  • Inability to exercise
  • Exercise potentially harmful
  • Women who are pregnant or breast feeding
  • Women who intend to become pregnant during the course of the study
  • Instable clinical condition (eventually later re-enrolment)
  • Under treatment for relapse or further cancer diagnoses
  • Cardiac arrhythmias under exercise (during baseline assessment or by history)
  • Diagnosis of diabetes <3 months ago (eventually re-enrolment after 3 months if diabetes is under good control)
  • Detection of a clinical condition that needs immediate treatment during baseline assessments (eventually re-enrolment after 3 months if in stable clinical condition)
  • Planned relevant surgeries for the next 12 months
  • Major musculoskeletal injuries, fractures <2 months ago (eventually later re-enrolment)
  • Recent change in medication that interfere with the parameters of the CVD risk score (primary outcome) <1 month ago (eventually later re-enrolment)
  • >4 hours of reported vigorous activities per week
  • Inability to follow the procedures and understand the intervention and assessments of the study e.g. due to cognitive impairment, language problems, psychological disorders etc.
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Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Intervention Grouppartially supervised exercise interventionPartially supervised exercise intervention: Survivors in the intervention group will be asked to add at least 2.5 hours of intense physical activities per week. These should include at least 30 min of strength building exercises and 2 hours of aerobic exercises per week. Exercise bouts lasting 20 min or longer will be counted with respect to total weekly training time.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Composite cardiovascular risk score [z-score]12 months

summarized mean z-score of waist circumference, blood pressure, HOMA-IR, inverted high density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides and cardiorespiratory fitness

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Number of missing days in the online diary [n/year]12 months

Only intervention participants: compliance with intervention

Leg strength and endurance [repetitions/min]6 and 12 months

Assessed with the 1 minute sit-to-stand test

Insulin resistance from response to oral glucose tolerance test (oGTT)12 months

Assessment of fasting glucose \[mmol/l\] and insulin \[mIU/l\] and glucose 2 hours after drinking of a glucose solution

Absolute [kg] and relative [%] body fat mass3, 6, and 12 months

Assessed with two methods: skinfold measurement (3, 6, and 12 months) and dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA, 12 months only).

Bone mineral content [g/cm and z-scores]12 months

Bone mineral content for total body, lumbar spine, and femoral neck assessed with dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA)

Total cross sectional bone area [mm2 and z-scores]12 months

Cross sectional area of the distal and proximal sites of radius and tibia assessed with peripheral quantitative computer tomography (pQCT)

Cortical bone mineral density [g/cm3 and z-scores]12 months

Bone mineral density of the proximal site of radius and tibia assessed with peripheral quantitative computer tomography (pQCT)

Muscle cross-sectional area [cm2 and z-scores]12 months

Muscle cross-sectional area of the proximal site of radius and tibia assessed with peripheral quantitative computer tomography (pQCT)

Hand grip strength in the left and right hand [kg]6 and 12 months

Assessed with a hydrolic hand grip dynamometer.

Inverted high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) [mmol/l]6 and 12 months
Total and trabecular bone mineral density [g/cm3 and z-scores]12 months

Bone mineral density of the distal site of radius and tibia assessed with peripheral quantitative computer tomography (pQCT)

Fatigue3, 6 and 12 months

Fatigue assessed with the self-reported questionnaire Checklist of Individual Strength (CIS).

Homeostasis Model Assessment Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR)6 and 12 months

calculated from insulin and glucose

HbA1C [mmol/mol]6 and 12 months
Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) [mmol/l]6 and 12 months
Body Mass Index (BMI) [z-score]3, 6, and 12 months

Calculated from height and weight

Cortical cross sectional bone area [mm2 and z-scores]12 months

Cross sectional area of the proximal site of radius and tibia assessed with peripheral quantitative computer tomography (pQCT)

Peak oxygen uptake (VO2max) [ml/(kg*min) and % predicted]6 and 12 months

Assessed with maximal spiroergometry test

Peak performance [watt/kg and % predicted]6 and 12 months

Assessed with maximal spiroergometry test

Heart rate recovery [delta beats/min]6 and 12 months

Assessed at the end of the maximal spiroergometry test: delta beats/min between peak heart rate and heart rate 1 minute post exercise.

Total physical activity [counts/min]6 and 12 months

Assessed by accelerometer

Sedentary behaviour [minutes/day]6 and 12 months

Assessed by accelerometer

Number of steps per day [steps/day]6 and 12 months

Assessed by accelerometer

Waist circumference [cm]3, 6, and 12 months
Systolic and diastolic blood pressure [mmHg]3, 6, and 12 months
Total cholesterol [mmol/l]6 and 12 months
Triglycerides [mmol/l]6 and 12 months
Areal bone mineral density [g/cm2 and z-scores]12 months

Bone mineral density for total body, lumbar spine, and femoral neck assessed with dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA)

Moderate to vigorous physical activities [minutes/day]6 and 12 months

Assessed by accelerometer

High impact activities with ground forces >3.9 G [n/day]6 and 12 month

Assessed by accelerometer

Health related quality of life [T-score with mean=50, standard deviation=10 and range=0-100]6 and 12 months

Health related quality of life assessed by the self-reported questionnaire short form 36 (SF-36).

Proportion of aimed physical activity reached [%]12 months

Only intervention participants: compliance with intervention

Psychological distress [T-score with mean=50, standard deviation=10 and range=0-100]6 and 12 months

Psychological distress assessed by the self-reported questionnaire Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI).

Fatigue on a visual analogue scale (VAS) [mm]3, 6 and 12 months
Number of adverse events and serious adverse events [n]3, 6 and 12 months

Number of participants with adverse events and exercise related complications categorized into seriousness of the event (adverse event \[AE\] or severe adverse event \[SAE\]).

Number of weeks where physical activity aim was reached [n/year]12 months

Only intervention participants: compliance with intervention

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University Children's Hospital Basel (UKBB)

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Basel, Switzerland

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