Effects of WB-EMS and Specific Dietary Supplements on Cancer Patients

October 15, 2018 updated by: University of Erlangen-Nürnberg Medical School

Effects of Physical Exercise in the Form of Whole-body Electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) Combined With Individualized Nutritional Therapy Using Specific Dietary Supplements on Cancer Patients Undergoing Curative or Palliative Anti-cancer Treatment

Patients suffering from cancer often experience a loss of muscle mass and strength during disease and its therapy. Muscle wasting is the main characteristic of the so-called cancer cachexia syndrome and responsible for many therapy-related complications and a poorer prognosis of the patient. Stabilizing muscle mass should therefore be a great goal in cancer care. Physical exercise and nutrition are promising measures to combat cancer-related muscle atrophy but conventional exercise programs may not always be suitable for physical-weakened patients and increased catabolic processes are difficult to overcome by normal Nutrition - especially in advanced cancer. Therefore, the present study aims to test a combined approach of specific nutritional supplementation and exercise using the novel strength training method of Whole-Body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS). The study investigates the effect of a 12-week WB-EMS training combined with a dietary supplementation of β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB), L-carnitine (LC) or the omega-3-fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) on skeletal muscle mass, body composition, physical function, nutritional and inflammatory status, fatigue and quality of life in cancer patients undergoing oncological treatment. The results of this study may help to clarify the effectiveness of those combined interventions to counteract muscle wasting and other symptoms of cancer cachexia.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Unknown

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Anticipated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
200

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Germany
    • Bavaria
      • Erlangen, Bavaria, Germany, 91054
        • Recruiting
        • Hector-Center for Nutrition, Exercise and Sports
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • malignant disease (solid or hematological cancer) e.g. head and neck cancer, colorectal carcinoma, small intestinal cancer, gastric cancer, oesophageal cancer, pancreas carcinoma, liver cell carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma,lung cancer, breast cancer, cervix cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, renal cell carcinoma, malignant melanoma, patients with leukaemia and malignant lymphomas
  • ECOG Performance Status ≤ 2

Exclusion Criteria:

  • simultaneous participation in other nutritional or exercise intervention trials
  • acute cardiovascular events
  • use of anabolic medications
  • epilepsy
  • severe neurological diseases
  • skin lesions in the area of electrodes
  • energy active metals in body
  • pregnancy
  • acute vein thrombosis

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Other
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
No Intervention: Control group
"usual care" control group receives individualized nutritional support (dietary advices: daily protein intake > 1.0 g/kg bodyweight)
Experimental: EMS group

physical exercise group performing a regular WB-EMS Training (two WB-EMS trainings per week; each session for 20 min)

+ individualized nutritional support (dietary advices: daily protein intake > 1.0 g/kg bodyweight)
Other: Whole-Body Electromyostimulation (WB-EMS)
WB-EMS training is performed 2x/week for 12 weeks; Stimulation protocol: Frequency of 85 Hz, pulse duration of 0.35 ms, stimulation period of 6 sec, resting period of 4 sec; supervised by certified training instructors/physiotherapists participants perform simple exercises during the stimulation period following a video tutorial
Experimental: HMB group
HMB supplemented group receives individualized nutritional support (dietary advices: daily protein intake > 1.0 g/kg bodyweight) + specific dietary supplementation with HMB (3 g/d)
Dietary supplement: β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB)
daily intake of 3 g HMB
Experimental: HMB+EMS group

HMB supplemented physical exercise group performing a regular WB-EMS Training (two WB-EMS trainings per week; each session for 20 min)

+ individualized nutritional support (dietary advices: daily protein intake > 1.0 g/kg bodyweight) + specific dietary supplementation with HMB (3 g/d)
Other: Whole-Body Electromyostimulation (WB-EMS)
WB-EMS training is performed 2x/week for 12 weeks; Stimulation protocol: Frequency of 85 Hz, pulse duration of 0.35 ms, stimulation period of 6 sec, resting period of 4 sec; supervised by certified training instructors/physiotherapists participants perform simple exercises during the stimulation period following a video tutorial
Dietary supplement: β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB)
daily intake of 3 g HMB
Experimental: LC group
LC supplemented group receives individualized nutritional support (dietary advices: daily protein intake > 1.0 g/kg bodyweight) + specific dietary supplementation with LC (4 g/d)
Dietary supplement: L-carnitine (LC)
daily intake of 4 g LC
Experimental: LC+EMS group

LC supplemented physical exercise group performing a regular WB-EMS Training (two WB-EMS trainings per week; each session for 20 min)

+ individualized nutritional support (dietary advices: daily protein intake > 1.0 g/kg bodyweight) + specific dietary supplementation with LC (4 g/d)
Other: Whole-Body Electromyostimulation (WB-EMS)
WB-EMS training is performed 2x/week for 12 weeks; Stimulation protocol: Frequency of 85 Hz, pulse duration of 0.35 ms, stimulation period of 6 sec, resting period of 4 sec; supervised by certified training instructors/physiotherapists participants perform simple exercises during the stimulation period following a video tutorial
Dietary supplement: L-carnitine (LC)
daily intake of 4 g LC
Experimental: EPA group
EPA supplemented group receives individualized nutritional support (dietary advices: daily protein intake > 1.0 g/kg bodyweight) + specific dietary supplementation with EPA (2.2 g/d)
Dietary supplement: Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)
daily intake of 2.2 g EPA
Experimental: EPA+EMS group

EPA supplemented physical exercise group performing a regular WB-EMS Training (two WB-EMS trainings per week; each session for 20 min)

+ individualized nutritional support (dietary advices: daily protein intake > 1.0 g/kg bodyweight) + specific dietary supplementation with EPA (2.2 g/d)
Other: Whole-Body Electromyostimulation (WB-EMS)
WB-EMS training is performed 2x/week for 12 weeks; Stimulation protocol: Frequency of 85 Hz, pulse duration of 0.35 ms, stimulation period of 6 sec, resting period of 4 sec; supervised by certified training instructors/physiotherapists participants perform simple exercises during the stimulation period following a video tutorial
Dietary supplement: Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)
daily intake of 2.2 g EPA

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Skeletal muscle mass
Time Frame: 12 weeks
Skeletal muscle mass assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis (in kg)
12 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Physical function - Endurance
Time Frame: 12 weeks
Six-minute-walk test (walking distance in m)
12 weeks
Physical function - Lower limb strength
Time Frame: 12 weeks
30 second sit-to-stand test (number of sit-to-stand cycles)
12 weeks
Patient-reported performance status
Time Frame: 12 weeks
ECOG performance status/Karnofsky index
12 weeks
Patient-reported Quality of Life (QoL)
Time Frame: 12 weeks
EORTC QLQ - C30 questionnaire
12 weeks
Patient-reported Fatigue
Time Frame: 12 weeks
FACIT-Fatigue scale
12 weeks
Physical function - isometric muscle strength
Time Frame: 12 weeks
Isometric hand grip strength assessed by hand Dynamometer (in kg)
12 weeks
Inflammatory blood markers
Time Frame: 12 weeks
Blood collection and analysis of e.g. C-reactive protein (CRP), Albumin
12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Erlangen-Nürnberg Medical School

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
December 1, 2016

Primary Completion (Anticipated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
March 31, 2019

Study Completion (Anticipated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
April 1, 2019

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 11, 2017

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 11, 2017

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 12, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
October 16, 2018

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 15, 2018

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
October 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • EMS and DS Tumor 01

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

No

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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