Impact of Home-based Aerobic and Strength Exercises During Chemotherapy for Early Breast Cancer on Biomarkers of Aging

Impact of Home-based Aerobic and Strength Exercises During Chemotherapy for Early Breast Cancer on Biomarkers of Aging and Patient-reported Symptoms and Outcomes

Purpose: To determine if engagement in physical activity during chemotherapy will have a moderating effect on increases in p16 levels during chemotherapy.

Participants: 200 patients age 21 or older with a Stage I-III breast cancer diagnosis who are about to start adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Procedures: The study entails screening, recruiting and consenting 200 eligible breast cancer patients who are about to begin adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy and agree to participate in a physical activity intervention, maintain a printed daily exercise log, wear a FitBit, complete questionnaires and assessments, and provide blood samples at various time points.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Breast Cancer
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Engagement in Physical Activity; Other: Questionnaires

Detailed Description

The overall focus of this study remains the investigation of associations between p16 and assessments (independent and patient-reported) of chemotherapy-related toxicity (adverse events and symptoms) and patient-reported measures of function and quality of life. The research team has determined that p16 increases dramatically during chemotherapy and that p16 levels among persons of similar age are lower among those who exercise as compared to those who are sedentary. The research team hypothesizes that engagement in physical activity during chemotherapy will have a moderating effect on increases in p16 levels during chemotherapy. To test this hypothesis, the study proposes to build on a completed trial, LCCC1334, and enroll 200 evaluable patients age 21-64 with a Stage I-III breast cancer diagnosis who are about to start adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy in an intervention that entails both aerobic and resistance exercises.

Results from both LCCC1334 and LCCC1410 and the proposed study, LCCC1749, will be used to provide evidence for a future grant application to conduct a randomized controlled trial in a larger study population to (1) establish the effect of physical activity on p16 levels during chemotherapy and (2) further evaluate how baseline and post-chemotherapy p16 levels correlate with measures of treatment-related toxicity and patient-reported outcomes over time. Findings from this study will also provide preliminary evidence for further investigations of the potential benefits of exercise during early breast cancer chemotherapy for (1) reducing the incidence and severity of peripheral neuropathy and (2) managing the interface of fatigue and perceived cognition deficits.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 132
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • North Carolina
    • Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States, 27599
      • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 21 years to 64 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Study subjects must meet all of the inclusion criteria listed below to participate in this study:
• 21 years of age or older, female
• Histologically confirmed Stage I, II or III breast cancer (if the patient has had more than one breast cancer, then the most recent diagnosis)
• Scheduled to begin an appropriate adjuvant or neo-adjuvant chemotherapy regimen as defined by NCCN guidelines (www.nccn.org). Patients receiving anti-HER-2 therapy are eligible but the intervention will only be tested during the chemotherapy portion of the regimen.
• English speaking
• IRB approved, signed written informed consent
• Approval from their treating physician to engage in moderate-intensity physical activity
• Patient-assessed ability to walk and engage in moderate physical activity
• Willing and able to meet all study requirements.

Exclusion Criteria:

• All subjects meeting any of the exclusion criteria at baseline will be excluded from study participation. Exclusion criteria are:
• One or more significant medical conditions that in the physician's judgment preclude participation in the walking or strength training intervention.
• Unable to walk or engage in moderate-intensity physical activity.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: Intervention Cohort; This is a one-arm intervention study that includes assessments and questionnaires at several time points as early stage breast cancer patients undergo chemotherapy and at 6 months post-chemotherapy. Study participants will be asked to wear a FitBit provided by the research team and agree to FitBit data downloads during regularly scheduled chemotherapy clinic visits to evaluate engagement in physical activity. Study participants will complete questionnaires, an exercise log, and submit blood samples as multiple time points.

Behavioral: Engagement in Physical Activity; Study participants will be asked to wear a FitBit provided by the research team and agree to FitBit data downloads during regularly scheduled chemotherapy clinic visits. Participants will also complete a daily exercise log to record the total number of minutes walked and the total number of steps from the FitBit.; Other: Questionnaires; Study participants will complete the following questionnaires: Health Behavior Questionnaire (HBQ), Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G), 4.4.5 Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-F), PROMIS Cognitive Function (Short Form 8a), Functional Assessment of Cancer-Gynecology Oncology Group-Neurotoxicity (FACT/GOG-NTX-12) Version 4, Nutrition Survey, Perceived Self-Efficacy for Fatigue Self-Management (PSEFSM),

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Compare the change in p16 from baseline to end of chemotherapy	Compare the change in p16 from baseline to end of chemotherapy for patients receiving a physical activity intervention to the historical value seen in previous studies (LCCC810 and 1027) of similar patients who did not participate in a physical activity intervention.	Baseline, 6-months post Baseline, 12-months post-Baseline

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Measure association of physical activity levels (Fitbit steps and strength training) with change in p16 levels	Will upload Fitbit and collect strength training data to evaluate the association of physical activity levels (Fitbit steps) with change in p16 levels.	Baseline, during Chemotherapy (from 1st infusion through last infusion, which varies widely by chemotherapy regimen -- from 12 weeks to 30 weeks) , and 12-months post-Baseline
Measure associations between weight, physical activity and diet during chemotherapy.	Will administer the NHANES Nutrition Survey at several time points during the study. The NHANES survey is not a scale. It is not scored. It is descriptive, asking about the frequency of consumption of specific items.	Baseline, 3-months post-Baseline, 6-months post-Baseline, and 12-months post-Baseline
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) as assessed by the FACT/GOG-NTX	Will administer the FACT/GOG-NTX instrument.	Baseline, During Chemotherapy (from 1st infusion through last infusion, which varies widely by chemotherapy regimen -- from 12 weeks to 30 weeks), 6-months post Baseline, 12-months post-Baseline
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) as assessed by the CTCAE.	Will administer the CTCAE.	Baseline, During Chemotherapy (from 1st infusion through last infusion, which varies widely by chemotherapy regimen -- from 12 weeks to 30 weeks), 6-months post Baseline, 12-months post-Baseline
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) as assessed by the PRO-CTCAE.	Will administer the PRO-CTCAE.	Baseline, During Chemotherapy (from 1st infusion through last infusion, which varies widely by chemotherapy regimen -- from 12 weeks to 30 weeks), 6-months post Baseline, 12-months post-Baseline
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) as assessed by the SPPB.	Will administer the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB).	Baseline, During Chemotherapy (from 1st infusion through last infusion, which varies widely by chemotherapy regimen -- from 12 weeks to 30 weeks), 6-months post Baseline, 12-months post-Baseline
Measure association of p16 with changes in QOL measures as assessed by the FACT-G	Will administer the FACT-G Questionnaire. The FACT-G is scored in a Likert-type scale from 0+not at all to 4=very much. Higher scores signify higher quality of life. Subscales are physical, social/family, emotional and functional -- which are analyzed separately and can be combined into a total FACT-G score.	Baseline, 6-months post-Baseline, 12-months post-Baseline
Measure association of p16 with changes in QOL measures as assessed by the FACIT-F	Will administer the FACIT-F Questionnaire. This Likert-type scale ranges from 0=not at all to 4=very much, with higher scores signifying higher fatigue. No subscales.	Baseline, 6-months post-Baseline, 12-months post-Baseline
Measure association of p16 with changes in QOL measures as assessed by the MHI-17	Will administer the MHI-17 Health Questionnaire. This 17 item measure consists of two subscales -- Anxiety and Depression. The Likert-type scale ranges from 0=all of the time to 5=none of the time. Higher scores indicate higher anxiety or depression. The two subscales are not combined into one MHI score.	Baseline, 6-months post-Baseline, 12-months post-Baseline
Measure association of p16 with changes in QOL measures as assessed by the MOS Social Activity Limitation Questionnaire	Administer the MOS Social Activity Limitation Questionnaire. We are using only one item from this scale. Likert-type scoring is 0=all of the time to4=none of the time. Higher score signifies less interference with social activities.	Baseline, 6-months post-Baseline, 12-months post Baseline
Measure association of p16 with changes in QOL measures as assessed by the PROMIS Instrumental Support	Administer the PROMIS Instrumental Support Questionnaire. This Likert-type scale is from 1=never to 5=always. Higher score signifies higher instrumental support. No subscales.	Baseline, 6-months post Baseline, 12-months post-Baseline
Measure association of p16 with changes in QOL measures as assessed by the PROMIS Social Isolation Questionnaire.	Administer PROMIS Social Isolation Questionnaire. Likert-type scoring is 0=never to 5=alwayse. Higher score signifies more social isolation. No subscales.	Baseline, 6-months post-Baseline, 12-months post-Baseline
Measure association of p16 with changes in QOL measures as assessed by the PROMIS Global Health	Administer PROMIS Global Health Questionnaire. Likert-type scale from 0=excellent to 4=poor. Higher score signifies lower global health. No subscales.	Baseline, 6-months post-Baseline, 12-months post-Baseline
Measure association of p16 with changes in cognition by the PROMIS Cognitive Function-Short Form	Will administer the PROMIS Cognitive Function-Short Form (8a). This Likert-type scale is from 1=very often to 5=never. Higher scores signify higher cognitive function. No subscales.	Baseline, 6-months post-Baseline
Measure association of p16 with changes in cognition by the Blessed Memory Concentration test (BOMC)	Will administer the Blessed Memory Concentration test (BOMC).	Baseline, 6-months post-Baseline
Measure association of p16 with changes in functional status by the Timed Up and Go Test	Administer theTimed Up and Go Test	Baseline, 6-months post-Baseline
Measure association of p16 with changes in functional status by the Medical Outcomes Survey.	Administer the Medical Outcomes Survey. Likert-type scale from 0=without help to 2=completely unable. Higher score signifies more limitations. No subscale.	Baseline, 6-months post-Baseline
Measure association of p16 with changes in functional status with the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Survey	Administer the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Survey. This Likelrt-type scale is from 0=without help to 2=completely unable. Higher scores signify greater limitations. No subscale.	Baseline, 6-months post-Baseline
Measure association of p16 with changes in functional status with the Karnofsky Performance Status	Administer the Karnofsky Performance Status	Baseline, 6-months post-Baseline
Measure association of p16 with number of Fall Questionnaire	One question will inquire about falls within the past 6 months.	Baseline, 6-months post-Baseline
Measure association of p16 with limitations in walking one block	One question will inquire whether the participant's health limits their ability to walk one block = range 0=limited a lot to 2=not limited at all	Baseline, 6-months post-Baseline

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Measure association of p16 with body composition	Evaluate the association of p16 with body composition measures (Bioimpedence, DEXA or BMI) at baseline and over time. p16 is the outcome of interest. We will analyze the correlation between p16 and (1) DEXA or (2) BMI or (3) bioimpedence -- BMI will be available for all participants, while DEXA and bioimpedence measures will not necessarily be available for all participants.	Baseline, During Chemotherapy (from 1st infusion through last infusion, which varies widely by chemotherapy regimen -- from 12 weeks to 30 weeks), 6-months post-Baseline and 12-months post-Baseline
Mean change in p16 between baseline to end of chemo, compared to previous studies	Mean change in p16 levels measured between baseline to end of chemotherapy, as compared to the historical value seen in previous studies (LCCC810 and 1027) of similar patients who did not participate in a physical activity intervention	Baseline, 6-months post-Baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
• Collaborators: Breast Cancer Research Foundation
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Hyman B. Muss, MD, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 28, 2018
• Primary Completion (Actual): August 1, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): February 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 5, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 29, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): December 3, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 1, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 26, 2025
• Last Verified: March 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: breast cancer; exercise; chemotherapy and aging
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neoplasms by Site; Neoplasms; Skin Diseases; Breast Diseases; Breast Neoplasms
• Other Study ID Numbers: LCCC 1749

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