Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) Patients Undergoing Induction Chemotherapy

Phase 2

Completed

Conditions: Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Interventions: Other: Exercise

Registration Number: NCT01170598

Lead Sponsor: Toronto Rehabilitation Institute

Brief Summary: Fatigue, reduced quality of life and declines in physical function are common in patients undergoing chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Studies in other cancer patients undergoing treatment have shown that exercise improves these symptoms, but there are limited studies in AML. This study of a hospital-based exercise program will help determine if exercise is both feasible and helpful in improving symptoms among for AML patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Detailed Description: Background: Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a life-threatening haematological malignancy. Initial treatment with induction chemotherapy requires 4-5 weeks of hospitalization, with a risk of physical deconditioning, declines in quality of life (QOL), and significant fatigue. Four pilot exercise studies have demonstrated improved fitness, strength, QOL, and fatigue in patients undergoing induction, but are limited by small sample sizes, recruitment of mostly younger adults, inconsistent endpoints, and design issues. Prior to conducting a large multi-centre randomized controlled trial (RCT), important pilot work first needs to be done to demonstrate feasibility of a randomized trial of an exercise program in AML patients undergoing induction chemotherapy; to ensure safety; and to provide effect estimates of the intervention on fitness and QOL/fatigue endpoints.

Objectives: Primary objectives are: (1) to determine feasibility of recruitment and retention of adult AML patients to a randomized trial of supervised exercise and ability of patients to perform an exercise intervention in hospital; (2) to provide estimates of the effect of exercise on fitness parameters. Secondary objectives are: (1) to determine effects of exercise on QOL and fatigue; (2) to understand the impact of exercise on AML treatment tolerability; (3) to examine safety of the exercise intervention. Methods: Thirty-five patients age 18 or older with newly diagnosed or relapsed AML who are undergoing induction chemotherapy will be recruited at Princess Margaret Hospital. Participants will perform 30-45 minutes of supervised aerobic and resistance exercises 4-5 days per week. Primary outcomes are recruitment rate, exercise adherence rate, and impact on fitness measures (peak aerobic capacity (VO2peak), grip strength, leg strength, 6-minute walk test). QOL will be measured with the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) core 30-item questionnaire (QLQ-C30). Fatigue will be measured using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy fatigue subscale (FACT-Fatigue). Treatment tolerability outcomes include length of stay, intensive care unit admission, and the development of sepsis. Outcomes over time will be assessed using mixed effects regression models.

Significance: Exercise is a promising intervention for improving fitness, QOL and treatment tolerability in AML patients undergoing induction chemotherapy. This pilot RCT will establish feasibility and safety, as well as provide efficacy estimates that will be vital to the design and conduct of a definitive multi-centre RCT of exercise in this patient population.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: COMPLETED

Sex: All

Target Recruitment: 35

Inclusion Criteria

at least 18 years old
newly diagnosed AML, or relapsed AML after having been in complete remission for at least 6 months
initiating induction chemotherapy
ambulatory without need for human assistance
has consented to study
is medically cleared for participation by attending physician

Exclusion Criteria

has another active malignancy
has life expectancy < 1 month, physician determined
has significant comorbidity
has uncontrolled pain
has haemodynamic instability
lacks fluency in reading and writing English and there is no translator available for each visit

Study & Design

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL

Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Exercise	Exercise	-

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Peak Aerobic Capacity (VO2peak)	Baseline, Post-induction (weeks 4-6)	The modified Bruce protocol is a walking-based treadmill test used to assess peak aerobic capacity. As the test progresses the intensity of each 3-minute work load increases. The test concludes when the participant reaches his maximal heart rate or volitional fatigue. The value attained on this test is measured in metabolic equivalents (METS). METS are a measure of exercise intensity and reflect the physical demands of an activity. In this context, a higher value achieved on the treadmill test (in METS) indicates work at a higher intensity and therefore a higher aerobic capacity.
6-minute Walk Test	Baseline, Post-induction (4-6 weeks)	Measure of functional endurance assessed by the walking distance covered in a 6-minute period. Participants walk a pre-established course for a total of 6 minutes. The distance covered in that time is recorded as the 6-minute walk test score.
Timed 10-chair Stands	Baseline, Post-induction (weeks 4-6)	Measure of lower-body strength completed by standing from a seated position 10 times as quickly as possible.
Grip Strength	Baseline, Post-induction (weeks 4-6)	Measure of upper-body strength using a Jamar hand dynamometer. Participants were asked to hold and squeeze (the dynamometer) with maximal force. Three trials were completed with each hand, alternating between the right and left to minimize fatigue. The highest recorded value of the dominant hand was used in the analysis.
Recruitment Rate	Baseline	Ratio of patients who consented to participate out of all eligible patients expressed as a percentage (eligible patients who consented to participation/eligible patients who declined participation).
Retention	Baseline, Post-induction (weeks 4-6)	Percentage of participants who remained in the study (did not withdraw voluntarily).
Program Adherence.	Baseline, Post-induction (weeks 4-6)	Adherence to supervised exercise program assessed as a percentage of exercise sessions completed(number of days of supervised exercise performed/the number of days that patients were approached to participate).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Global Quality of Life	Baseline, Post-induction (weeks 4-6)	Global quality of life (QOL) will be measured by the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) core 30-item questionnaire (QLQ-C30). The EORTC QLQ-C30 is a widely used, self-reported, psychometrically sound cancer QOL instrument. QOL scores derived from this questionnaire range from 0-100 with a higher score reflecting a higher QOL.
Fatigue	Baseline, Post-induction (weeks 4-6)	Fatigue will be assessed using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy fatigue subscale (FACT-Fatigue). The FACT-Fatigue consists of 13 questions and has excellent psychometric characteristics. Fatigue scores derived from this questionnaire range from 0-52 with a higher score reflecting lower fatigue.
Length of Stay	Post-induction (weeks 4-6)	Length of stay (date of admission to hospital to date of discharge).
Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Admission	Post-induction (weeks 4-6)	Intensive care unit (ICU) admission (percentage of participants admitted to ICU during induction chemotherapy course).
Development of Sepsis	Post-induction (weeks 4-6)	Development of sepsis (percentage of participants who developed sepsis during induction chemotherapy course).