Prehabilitation on Fitness, Surgical Outcomes and Mitochondria Functionality in Patients With Esophageal Cancer

Efficacy of Prehabilitation on Fitness, Surgical Outcomes and Mitochondria Functionality in Patients With Esophageal Cancer Undergoing Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

The most often reported complications of patients with resectable esophageal malignancies are pulmonary (25~57%), which may cause increased intensive care unit utilization, prolonged length of hospital stay, increased mortality and medical expense. Also, neoadjuvant chemotherapy has a deleterious effect on patients' cardiopulmonary capacity, strength and muscle mass. Prehabilitation includes preoperative exercise training and nutrition management. The reporting outcome regarding whether it improves surgical outcomes is inconsistent. One of the reasons is that pulmonary complication tends to occur in patients with low cardiopulmonary fitness, but all studies included patients with all level of fitness.

Most of the chemotherapy interferes with cell division to inhibit tumor growth but is also harmful to mitochondria functionality. For example, Cisplatin and Paclitaxel, commonly used in esophageal cancer, alter mitochondria function, caused by disruption of respiratory chain function and increased production of reactive oxygen species. However, it remains unclear their negative effects on the oxidative phosphorylation capacity of mitochondria (OXPHOS). Furthermore, whether prehabilitation reverses this negative effect is scarcely explored.

Patients will be inquired to participate and randomized into prehabilitation or control group. The latter will undergo conventional therapy only, while the former will receive additional prehabilitation program. The prehabilitation program encompasses supervised and home-based aerobic, resistance training (large and inspiratory muscle) and nutrition management. The supervised exercise training will be performed right before or after the radiotherapy. Outcome variables are fitness-related testing [the 1st year], quality of life and surgical outcomes [the 2nd year] and mitochondria functionality (OXPHOS, membrane potential, matrix oxidant burden) [the 3rd year]. Evaluation is performed 3 times at baseline, before surgery and 4 weeks after surgery.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Esophageal Cancer
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: prehabilitation

Detailed Description

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy has significantly improved patient outcomes. The majority of patients with resectable esophageal malignancies are considered for neoadjuvant treatment. However, esophagectomy and chemotherapy have disadvantages. Morbidity and mortality associated with esophagus resection remain high. The most often reported complications are pulmonary (25~57%), which may cause increased intensive care unit utilization, prolonged length of hospital stay, increased mortality and medical expense.

Also, neoadjuvant chemotherapy has a deleterious effect on patients' cardiopulmonary capacity, strength and muscle mass. Prehabilitation includes preoperative exercise training and nutrition management. The reporting outcome regarding whether it improves surgical outcomes is inconsistent. One of the reasons is that pulmonary complication tends to occur in patients with low cardiopulmonary fitness, but all studies included patients with all level of fitness. In the current investigation, only those with low cardiopulmonary fitness will be enrolled.

Most of the chemotherapy interferes with cell division to inhibit tumor growth but is also harmful to mitochondria functionality. For example, Cisplatin and Paclitaxel, commonly used in esophageal cancer, alter mitochondria function, caused by disruption of respiratory chain function and increased production of reactive oxygen species. However, it remains unclear their negative effects on the oxidative phosphorylation capacity of mitochondria (OXPHOS). Furthermore, whether prehabilitation reverses this negative effect is scarcely explored.

This is a three-year prospective randomized trial. Patients who suffer from locally-advanced esophageal cancer and will receive neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and operation in Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou will be inquired to participate. A total of 160 patients will be recruited expectedly and randomized into prehabilitation or control group. The latter will undergo conventional therapy only, while the former will receive additional prehabilitation program. The prehabilitation program encompasses supervised and home-based aerobic, resistance training (large and inspiratory muscle) and nutrition management. The supervised exercise training will be performed right before or after the radiotherapy. Outcome variables are fitness-related testing (cardiopulmonary exercise testing, 6-minute walk distance, handgrip, and body composition, maximal inspiratory pressure and muscle oxidative capacity) [the 1st year], quality of life and surgical outcomes (length of stay in the hospital and intensive care unit, surgical complication, perioperative pulmonary complications and medical expense) [the 2nd year] and mitochondria functionality (OXPHOS, membrane potential, matrix oxidant burden) [the 3rd year]. Evaluation is performed 3 times at baseline, before surgery and 4 weeks after surgery.

The investigators hypothesize that prehabilitation increases functional reserve to improve surgical outcomes [2nd year] in a subpopulation of patients with esophageal cancer who receive neoadjuvant chemo-radiotherapy plus having low cardiopulmonary fitness. It also reverses fitness decline during neoadjuvant chemotherapy [1st year], partly through amelioration of mitochondria functionality [3rd year]. The goal of the investigation is to provide an applicable prehabilitation model and establish its efficacy at clinical, tissue and cellular levels.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 160
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Shu-Chun Huang, MD, PhD; Phone Number: 5156 +88633281200; Email: mr7171@cgmh.org.tw

Study Locations

• Taiwan
  • Taoyuan, Taiwan, 333
    • Recruiting
    • Chang Gung memorial hospital
    • Contact: Shu-Chun Huang, MD, PhD

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 20 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• nonmetastatic esophageal cancer patients.
• V'O2 < 21ml/min/kg
• abnormality on spirometry.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Resting heart rate greater than 100 beats per minute
• Atrial fibrillation or flutter
• Poor control of high blood pressure or diabetes
• Patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease
• Patients with end-stage renal disease
• Patients receiving anticoagulant therapy
• Neurological instability

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: prehabilitation (P); inhospital exercise training 5 times/week, 5~6 weeks during nCRT (neoadjuvant chemoraiotherapy); home exercise 5 times/week, 5~6 weeks, between completion of nCRT and before surgery	Other: prehabilitation; inhospital exercise training 5 times/week, 5~6 weeks during nCRT; home exercise 5 times/week, 5~6 weeks, between completion of nCRT and before surgery
No Intervention: control group (C); no prehabilitation

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Exercise capacity of all participants by Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test (CPET)	Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test	three years
Exercise capacity of fitness-related parameters: 6-minute walk distance	Detection of 6-minute walk distance in meters	three years
Exercise capacity of fitness-related parameters: hand grip	Detection of hand grip strength in kilograms	three years
Body composition	Body composition analysis	three years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Surgical outcomes of inpatient days	length of stay in the hospital and intensive care unit in days	three years
Complications outcomes	Preoperative and surgical complications analysis	three years
Mitochondria functionality	Mitochondrial function of lymphocytes	three years

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Chang Gung Memorial Hospital
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Shu-Chun Huang, MD, PhD, Chang Gung memorial hospital

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 25, 2020
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): September 1, 2023
• Study Completion (Anticipated): November 1, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 24, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 14, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): December 17, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): February 16, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 15, 2023
• Last Verified: August 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Digestive System Diseases; Neoplasms; Neoplasms by Site; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms; Digestive System Neoplasms; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Head and Neck Neoplasms; Esophageal Diseases; Esophageal Neoplasms
• Other Study ID Numbers: 201901758B0

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No